Remember Me
by CrimsonTrainer-4395
Summary: When Violet is offered a second chance at life, the chance to wash away the wrongdoings of her family, she finds herself buried under more than just planning murders. From visions to painful headaches, something felt wrong. If it weren't for her new mysterious servant, surely she would have died by now. Rated T because swears. A sequel to "My Fair Lady". Cover by Mokki Takashi
1. His Fair Lady, Straightforward

**Hi hi!**

 **So, after giving myself a little under a month, I think that I finally know where I'm going.**

 **I'm going to go ahead and try to pull off two sequels at once.**

 **Last time I did this was when I first started writing and didn't understand that writing two stories at once could be hard, but you know what, I feel like I've grown up from there. After all, I'm a big kid now, I can take on two stories at once!**

 **Hopefully.**

 **...Right?  
**

 **Oh well, either way, I guess we're going to figure it all out, huh?**

 **Well, with that said, enjoy the sequel to My Fair Lady!**

 **Violet: Alright, let's see where we get in this!**

 **Kuro:...Oh jeez...This is so trippy...**

 **Me: you two can be weird in the ending notes, we've got a story to go through!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet flew from her bed, hands on her head while her eyes stared into the darkness of her room. It was hard to tell dreams from visions, but either way, whatever she just saw scared her more than she'd like to admit.

She pulled her hands through her dark brown hair, fingers playing and flicking at the curls at the end, while her dark blue eyes locked onto both nothing and everything.

She'd had the falling dream again, but this time, she stayed awake just long enough to hit the ground. Everything felt as if it were on fire, her arms and legs feeling broken in too many places. Everything hurt, but something told her that she had to move. If she stayed put for any longer, someone would find her, and she'd die.

She attempted to move, but nothing was working, and the pain didn't make it any easier. She wasn't sure if it was sweat or tears, but something was trailing down her face. And then, right before she could black out from the pain, she came through.

She hated it when those visions came through. Of course, she knew to a point that nothing would hurt her physically, but it all just felt so...real. It felt like a type of ghost pain, like she'd felt it before, but there's no proof of it.

Sighing, she fell back onto the bed, about to go back to sleep when a knock came to the door, "My lady, might I come in?"

Violet groaned, sometimes forgetting how damn good this guy's hearing was, "Yeah...Yeah, you're all good."

The door opened, allowing the dim candlelight into the room, illuminating the rather grand bedroom she thought she'd never see again.

As always, he wore his black tailcoat over his white dress shirt and black dress pants. His hair always seemed to be too perfect, but I guess something like that just came with the territory of being a demon, "Are you feeling well? I've brought a cup of tea to help."

"Oh, thanks." She murmured, holding her hands out when he offered her the cup, cooling it down before taking a sip, enjoying the light taste of jasmine, "And don't worry about it, Corvus; it was just a bad dream."

Corvus gave her an almost disapproving look, before backing off, "If you insist so, my lady. Is there anything else that I can do for you, my lady? Maybe another cup of tea?"

"Could you just leave the light on my nightstand?" Violet asked, smiling when he nodded, leaving the candelabra on her nightstand, "Thank you."

"Of course, my lady." He said, giving a small bow, before going back to the door, stopping before opening it to turn back to her, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

There were so many things that she honestly wanted to ask for. She wanted an explanation to her visions, she wanted to know why it felt how it did, she wanted revenge; but most of all, at the moment, she really wanted sleep, "Nope, you're good to go. Night, Corvus."

"A good night to you as well, Lady De Angelus." He said, offering another bow, before walking back out, closing the door behind him.

She attempted to get comfortable in her bed once again, finding it difficult, but knowing herself, she'd fall asleep regardless. All the while, she kept her eyes on the candelabra, watching the flames dance as she fell asleep.

She had no idea how she managed to do it when she swore that she could hear screams of pain in the far distance. Maybe it was because she knew that it was fake, since no one lived around here to cause such noise, but either way, one way or the other, she managed to finally fall asleep.

* * *

The next day, when she woke up, she found it surprisingly cold.

Throwing off the blanket, Violet slipped out of the bed, yawning and stretching as she did so. Sliding out of the bed, she tugged off her nightgown, walking over to her closet as she did so.

She inspected her options, only to sigh. The mansion had been rebuilt easily, but her possessions, like clothing and jewelry.

Not that she really cared for the second, since most that she'd acquired throughout the years were from the members of the cult trying to gain her affection. Of course, it didn't hurt that they were shiny, she had a weakness for shiny things.

She made a mental note to go into town, Rochdale she thought it was called, as she pulled out the casual set of shorts and a simple shirt, both a dull shade of grey.

It's been a week now, since the whole grand fire she'd started. Of course, there were other things to remember that night by, but out of all the options, the night of grand fire really did sound like the best option by far.

She threw the clothes on, still shivering from the cold. She made a mental note to go out shopping, deciding to leave the problem of money up for later, before leaving her room.

Her bare feet felt rather warm in the plush carpet of the hallways, her toes wiggling as she walked around.

Her hand traced the walls she walked past, eyes fell on the paintings that sat on the walls, so proud and tall as if they were painted to be there. She'd stop every now and then, just for a second to really get a good look of a painting. One was of her mother and father, Madison and Oliver De Angelus, both sitting and talking over a table in some garden. Another was of the three of them, Violet sitting on her mother's lap, while Oliver stood tall and proud behind them, a proud hand on her mother's shoulder.

If anyone had just come across these paintings, they'd surely assume that this as the pinnacle of the perfect nuclear family. She laughed at the thought, continuing on her way until she arrived at the mansion's living room.

At one point in time, this is where a lot of initiations began. Her parents would invite the newcomers up here, after being blindfolded of course, and have them sit in what Violet liked to call the chair of choices. They'd have him sit down and have Violet across from them. They made it so that it looked like she'd choose those who joined, but really, it was her parents to decide who was rich enough to contribute, while those who didn't have the money were stripped of all they had and either tossed out after some extensive brainwashing, or they were shot on the spot.

Yes, fun times indeed. Events like those certainly didn't make it hard for her to eat breakfast in the morning.

Just on time, Corvus walked in with a tray as she sat down on the couch, watching the window as the rising sunlight filled the room slowly but surely, "Here we are," Corvus murmured, putting the tray down before her, "Sleep well, my lady?"

"Decently." Violet said, sighing as she picked up her fork, poking at the eggs a bit out of habit. Even after a week, this all still felt so weird. Any other normal morning, she'd dread the moment that her parents sent the help in to get her out of bed. Mornings like those, she'd give up a lot to just flop onto the floor and continue her sleep from there. She couldn't imagine the floor to be that uncomfortable, as long as she had the blankets, she didn't see an issue.

Of course, it never really helped that, after failing so many times, the help usually came in with a cold bucket of water, but still, sleeping in every once in a while, couldn't hurt, right?

Violet swore, it was as if her parents regarded sleeping in as some sort of unethical practice.

"My lady," Corvus spoke softly, getting her attention, "Are you certain that you are well? You seem to be a bit more...absent minded than usual."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, don't worry about it." Violet muttered, taking a sip from her teacup, before looking out the window, "So, I guess that we should start looking today, huh?"

"If you find that to be most convenient." Corvus murmured, before pulling out a piece of paper from his jacket, holding it out to her, "Here is the list that you required, my lady."

Violet took the list, looking it over, only to sigh. To think that there were only three people left alive from the cult. Of course, it made sense, most members had been stuck within the mansion when she lit it up a week ago.

She had attempted to ask how Corvus knew these names after giving her first order but decided against it. He was a demon, after all. It didn't feel right to question the supernatural.

Besides, she was giving him something quite valuable in return, she best to give the orders and enjoy it while it lasted, "So we've got Camdyn Axton, Edward Greyson, and Sherman Sutton. All of them have last been seen in Rochdale, right?"

"That would be correct, my lady." Corvus said, nodding as he said so, "I assume that you'd like to have the area scouted out before making plans?"

"You mean besides the actual murders themselves? Yeah, scouting the place would be nice." Violet muttered softly to herself, putting the fork down when she was done, before looking over the ruby ring on her finger.

"Of course, I'll have that done right away." Corvus insisted, bowing before walking out of the room.

"Wow, wait, what!?" Violet said, confused as the demon tried to walk out of the room, before shaking her head, "Wow now, dude, hold up!"

"I beg a pardon?" Corvus asked, looking just as confused.

"I've never really had a chance to go to Rochdale," Violet admitted, twisting her ring around her finger, "Honestly, I've never left the mansion before...You know."

"Oh...Well, if you wish, we can depart now." Corvus said, holding his hand out for her to take, "May I?"

"Of course." Violet said, taking his gloved hand to get up, before dusting off her boring shirt, "Oh, while we're in town, we're going to have to buy a thing or nine."

* * *

The entire walk, Violet was shivering like mad.

Corvus, on multiple occasions, offered to carry her down the mountain to the town. And, each time, she declined. Sure, she had a demon butler now or whatever, but she didn't want to become too dependent. Sure, she needed help for...certain things for her whole plan to work, but the last thing she needed was to wake up one morning and forget how to tie her own shoes or put on a shirt.

She wasn't some damn baby that could do nothing but shout orders and whine like a little baby bitch.

Finally, the forest line cleared, pulling away to reveal a small and quaint town. As small and rather pitiful as it looked, Violet still felt as if her breath was taken away. She'd never seen so many people walking around freely. All she'd ever see from her room were people who'd spend free time in the manor's backyard garden, the one part and place of her childhood that she really held close.

When the two finally entered the town, Violet couldn't help but feel welcomed. It was as if this was home, no need to stand with her back straight and head held high.

"It's a lot nicer than I thought it would be." Violet murmured, mostly to herself, before another cold gust of wind hit. She shivered, holding her shoulders close, before letting out a sneeze, "Oh jeez, oh God, I need to find a place where I can get a coat or something; food wouldn't hurt either."

"That much can be agreed on." Corvus said in agreement, looking around, before ushering her into a nearby building, "Here we are."

It took a moment for Violet to go from freezing cold to a sudden warmth, the feeling being a welcomed one. She looked around, only slightly confused as to where she was, until a woman came up to greet them both, "Hello there! Dear, you look cold, may I interest you in a few coats?"

Still decently confused, Violet looked over to Corvus, who nodded and ushered her forth, "She's also looking for a few other outfits, if a beautiful lady such as yourself would be so kind as to assist her."

"Why, of course!" The lady said, doing that flattered grin and blushy face that nearly made Violet crack. She found it hilarious, how some people could crumble over a few small words and a wink, but at the same time, if you can play someone like that, you could get a lot out of life for free.

Corvus nodded to the two, before giving Violet a small bow, "I will go out and do a bit of… sightseeing. I shall be back soon."

Violet nodded, watching Corvus leave, before the lady pushed her deeper into the shop, "So, little lady, might that man be your father?"

It took a whole lot of control to hold back the laughter, as she forced herself to nod, "Yep, that's my father. Do you see the resemblance?"

"There is no doubt that you two are related!" She chirped, much to Violet's amusement. Finally, they got to the back, where Violet's eyes went wide.

She had assumed that it would be easy and straightforward, looking for a coat. That was before she noticed that the word "coat" apparently had a whole lot of different styles and meanings.

With a small sigh, she turned to the shopkeeper, "So, where would you like to start, young lady?"

"You tell me." Violet muttered, looking over all the many options. She was going to be here for a while.

* * *

When Corvus finally got back, Violet was stuck under five bags of clothing. Her pitiful rags were replaced by a simple yet nice dark purple dress, with a black ribbon-like belt to hold it in place. Her feet were finally covered with knee-high boots, all tied together with a nice warm-looking brown coat with a hood.

All in all, she looked like a rich little noble girl.

And Corvus would lie if he said that she didn't look like an angel.

"I take it that you had a bit of fun?" Corvus murmured, walking over to pay for whatever she'd bought, a bag of groceries tucked under his other arm.

"After getting over the initial confusion, yeah." Violet said with a grin, looking like she was about to fall over.

Corvus took the bags from her after paying, while the shopkeeper grinned, pocketing the money, "I hope the two of you have a great rest of the day! It's so nice, seeing a loving father spoil his daughter!"

Violet's eyes latched right onto his expression the moment the woman said it, nearly breaking her facade when Corvus' eyebrow twitched. He had no time to look down at Violet to ask, only able to nod, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, any good father should treat his daughter like a gift; just as any husband should treat his wife like a treasure."

"Words spoken like a true gentleman!" the woman grinned, giving them both a wave as they both walked out.

The moment the door closed behind them. Violet threw her head back, laughing hard and loud. She was sure that the wooden door did little to nothing to really stop the lady inside from hearing, but at the moment, she really didn't care.

Corvus, on the other hand, let out a sigh, his shoulders seeming to huff with him, "Care to explain any of that, my lady?"

"She assumed that you were my dad," Violet grinned, laughing as she attempted to wipe away the tears, "Won't lie, you were kinda letting off those types of vibes, you know?"

"Well, if that is what it must take to make sure that you are kept safe, then a title such as that one will be something I will bear." Corvus sighed, somehow able to rub his forehead even with all the bags he was holding.

The two continued to walk about, taking in the whole town. Not that there was too much for her to remember, being a rather small place. So far, she knew that there was a boutique, a small market place, a tall building that, if the children running around meant anything, was probably and orphanage, and maybe two or three houses for families.

Corvus went around, probably to look for more things to buy and take home. Violet took a moment to be thankful that money wasn't an issue. Her uncle, Peter De Angelus, is filthy rich. Well, was, he'd been killed by his own brother, her father, to prove his own loyalty.

But, it didn't hurt that whatever money her uncle had was in an account filed in under their name, and from when she last saw, all her parents did was fill it with money from the other members.

So, it would be a long time till that all ran out.

Violet looked around the market, trying to play the part of the aloof child. Not that it was too hard to pull off really, she would be too scattered brain to really be anything else.

She talked around, doing her best to talk around. From some of the ladies holding down a stall to other customers, no one knew anything about the three men she was looking for.

With a sigh, she walked back over to where Corvus was wooing other women, waving as he walked away when Violet walked by, "So far, no one that I talked to knows anything. Did you find anything?"

"I found out a bit more on Axton," Corvus murmured, looking around as he did so, "Apparently, he shows up often at night."

"So…we're going to have to wait until then, huh?" Violet sighed, tugging at the bottom of her dress.

"It would seem so." Corvus sighed, looking around before ushering her into yet another building. At first, she had assumed that it was a home, but once inside, it appeared to be an inn. It wasn't too fancy, but it looked cozy enough.

While Corvus went up to the reception desk to purchase a key, Violet gasped, eyes going wide as everything around her faded, replaced with a long white hallway.

She looked around, everything was so pristine. It was a long hallway, with so many doors on each side.

She felt someone put their hand on her shoulder, "Hey, Arita?" The voice asked, sounding just a bit warped.

She turned to the person, taking in those deep golden eyes. They looked familiar, why did they look so familiar? They looked so calm and supporting, like this person clad in armor would dive off the side of a cliff if she did it.

She felt the hard on her shoulder push her forward, "Come on, tiny! Let's get a move on, we're gonna be late, and Revana's gonna be pissed straight to hell if we are!"

And so, the hand guided her down the hall, all the while, he went on, "You know, I'm honestly looking forward to graduating soon! I mean, we're almost there, we're gonna be real angels! We're going to change the world and everything, and you wanna know the best part!?"

"By all means, Ezequiel, tell me." Violet jumped. The voice sounded like her, but it also...didn't sound like her.

"We're all going to graduate from this together! You, me, Revana and Seidax! We're going to stay together, and I can't ask for anything but that!"

Finally, Violet stopped, looking back at this person. Ezequiel...Ezequiel...That name sounded familiar. Why did is sound familiar? Why did this all look so familiar!? She felt like the answer was right before her, but she couldn't reach it. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get to it, and she had no idea why.

The guy before her grinned, "Come on, you okay? You're all off again. I mean, jeez, I know it's easy to get lost in my eyes and all, but…"

"My lady, are you feeling ill?"

Violet gasped, blinking her way back to reality. She panicked for just another second, looking around, only to sigh. Corvus must have taken her from the reception room to their room, which explained why there was now a bed and a door to the side in the room, probably leading to the bathroom.

"I'm fine, sorry about that." Violet muttered, holding her head as she sat down on the bed. She twisted the ring around her finger, as if making sure that she was anchored, "Just another vision, that's all."

"Ah, I see." Corvus muttered, looking off to the side, deep in thought. Before Violet could ask, Corvus straightened up, holding the bags in one hand while the other hand fixed the collar of his shirt, "I will go back to the mansion to drop these bags off. I'd advise you to rest, tonight will surely be taxing."

Violet nodded wordlessly, allowing Corvus to help take off her coat and boots, making sure she was all comfy before leaving with a bow.

All the while, Violet just laid there, staring off into nothing. It never helped to try and solve her visions, no matter how hard she tried, there was nothing for her to start with. It was all usually just a huge jumble of names, faces and places.

So, she decided to just stay there, staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. Ezequiel, Arita, Revana, Seidax. Those two names would be added to her list. She couldn't remember if she'd heard those names before, nor could she remember if they had any meaning. She made a mental note to ask Corvus to get her a notebook, before drifting off into a visionless sleep.

* * *

 **First few chapters may be a bit slow, but there is story here, I promise.**

 **Violet: Okay, so now that that's out of the way-**

 **Kuro: -We need help explaining this.**

 **Me: You're both the same person, just in a different life, I guess. So, in a way, you're both the same soul, just different bodies, I guess? I mean, honestly, I don't know how this could work out.**

 **Violet:...**

 **Kuro:...**

 **Me:...Think of the two of you as twins.**

 **Violet: Well, okay, that makes much more sense!**

 **Kuro: Huh, never had a twin before...**

 **Me: Alright, you two go off and bother someone else, this whole author's note is giving me such a headache.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop a review (I swear, those things just brighten up my day, no joke), and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	2. His Fair Lady, Nostalgic

**Hi hi!**

 **Loving the support so far. I know it isn't much, it may be a bit slow in the beginning, but I promise that things will pick up as we go along.**

 **Any who, enjoy the story, I have a lot more to say, but I'll lay it off until the ending notes.**

 **With that said, ONWARDS!**

* * *

When Corvus got back, she was fast asleep.

He couldn't help but enjoy the sight. She looked so comfortable, curled up like that. Her hair was splayed out in a sort of halo, her mouth parted just a bit. He made sure to pull the blanket up over her, before going over to look out the window.

He couldn't help but see her in Violet's place. Granted, they were the same person to a point, but still, in a way, it breaks his heart.

She acted like her, whether she knew it or not. From the mannerisms to her expressions, it was all the same. Hell, the only difference were her eyes. A dark blue over violet. Of course, it was just a bit ironic, since Violet seemed to be her name. Honestly, he had caught himself more times than he would like to admit.

It was a sort of bittersweet situation. Given another chance, but through a fresh restart rather than a return to base, in a way. Of course, he wasn't complaining, he'd take any opportunity he'd been given.

And yet, it didn't stop his heart from breaking every time he heard her laugh or see her smile. Kuro was somewhere in there, he knew it. He just had to find it before their "contract" was over.

She had it very clear and very simple, when they final took some time to sit down and talk it over. Violet had asked his price, and he'd insightfully claimed it to be something that didn't matter at the moment. No, taking her soul wasn't an option here. That was the reason he'd bestowed her the ring instead of an actual seal.

The mark bonded him to her, yes, but it held none of the weight behind the deal. To any other demon, such an idea would have been pointless, hell, he himself would have been against it had the idea arisen to meet him in his youth.

When he asked her what she wanted, she made herself very clear.

 _"My wish is to wipe out all remainders of the De Angelus name."_

The way she said it had jarred him, at the time. Kuro had always been a bit blatant, but this had been the first time that that same bluntness had been joined with angry intensity.

It was like looking at a whole new person, the fire in her eyes almost enough to rattle him. But, as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, opting for a more childish smile.

 _"Well, if I really want the De Angelus name wiped from existence, I guess it makes sense for me to go with it, right?"_

Shaking his head, he went to look out the window, not that it had to be done since he now knew this little town like the back of his hand. Outside, he had a clear view of a tall building, the yard area filled with playing children.

He watched the orphanage with just a bit of apathy. Honestly, he wasn't too keen when it came to children. Tiny little irritations that run around, not knowing when to listen to reason. He especially hated those privileged kids, those who grew up with everything fed to them on a silver spoon, and instantly thought that they were right beyond doubt.

Of course, it didn't help earlier that he'd forced himself to walk in to see if those who ran the place knew anything about this Axton fellow.

The owner of the place, a lady by the name of Ramira Henderson, only employed young women. There were two others that worked at the place, her own daughter and someone else named Hope Cenhelm. Neither of those two knew anything about Camdyn, but he did pick something up on that one other girl, the Cenhelm one.

He didn't know exactly what it was, but he was sure that he felt something...off about her.

Shaking his head, he looked back over to Violet, almost as if to make sure that she hadn't disappeared in the time he'd taken his eyes off of her.

He couldn't help but wonder what would happen. If they did find Axton, could Violet actually bring herself to kill him? Of course, covering it up would be no problem for him, but still, he couldn't help but wonder exactly what would happen.

He almost didn't notice it when Violet woke up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes in a sort of petite manner. He couldn't help but see how dainty she looked, his dainty little demon, "My lady, the sun has just begun to set. Perhaps you'd like some time to collect yourself before we depart?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." Violet murmured, rubbing her eyes as she got off of the bed, "Honestly wouldn't mind just a moment of two to wash the sleep from my face."

With that, she went into the bathroom, closing the door with a click behind her. With a sigh, he looked around the room once more, feeling just a little skeptical. He almost felt as if someone, or something, was watching the two of them.

Finally, Violet walked out, playing with something in her hands, tossing the item from hand to hand.

Watching the knife dance around her hands, Corvus' eyes narrowed, "When did you get that dagger?"

"I've never been one to really show what's up my sleeves." Violet said with a grin, putting her index finger over her closed lips, giving him a wink, "Now then, shall we find a Mr. Axton?"

"We shall." Corvus said, nodding as he followed her out of the room. There was a skip in her step, as if she were excited to drive that knife into the back of someone's neck.

Yep, through and through, this was his Kuro. No questions here.

* * *

The protection of her new coat was really being a great help.

With the night came harsh gusts of wind, but thanks to her new coat, it was a lot more managed able now.

She and Corvus walked about, taking in Rochdale as the sun fell. The nice homely town slowly turned to a much more sinister nature, one that could have killed without even meaning to.  
"I Could have sworn that I saw movement back here…" Violet murmured, looking around as she walked on. All the while, she did what she could not to look too suspicious, "Around this building, someone's walking around…"

"The orphanage?" Corvus muttered, just a bit confused, as he followed Violet. She nodded, looking around, before slipping behind the building.

"You watch one end, I've got this one." Violet insisted, giving him a pointed look, "No matter what happens, unless Axton or another tries to run by, you stay there."

"Of course, my lady."

Violet nodded, before hopping the fence. She looked around, confused. She was sure that someone slipped back here, but looking around now…

"I'm so sorry, but are you lost?"

Violet jumped, whipping around with the knife still in hand. She was going for "baddass-with-a-weapon", but she was pretty sure she looked more like "I-swear-my-hand-isn't-in-the-cookie-jar".

Standing before her was a girl just a little shorter than her, looking possibly a little older than herself. She had long platinum blonde hair, borderline light purple. Her eyes looked like a mix of kind yet stern, those soft cerulean eyes looking almost too innocent.

She wore a uniform-like dress, as if she were going to a private school or just got out of work, with a ribbon around the collar to help hold it in place.

"I... Well... Umm...You see…" Violet said, grinning awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head with the hilt of her blade, "Damn, I really should have invested in a cardboard box, huh? No way you would have spotted me if I had one of those…"

"That's not answering my question." The girl said, eyes narrowing just a bit, before they widened, taking a step back, a hand over her mouth. Violet assumed that she took note of the knife, "N-no way, that's impossible…"

She kept backing up, eyes wide with one hand still over her mouth, only for her to bump into a shadow.

Or, that's what it looked like from where Violet stood.

Something in the shadows leered forward to grab her, a knife held under her chin as Camdyn emerged, a crooked smile on his face. His red hair stuck up oddly, just like his daughter's use to look. His dark green eyes narrowed, using his forearm to keep the girl in place, the other hand brandishing a knife, just a little longer than Violet's own, "Well now, what's the De Angelus Angel doing out here?"

"None of your business, Camdyn Axton." Violet said, scowling. She held her knife out and away from her body, cursing. The last thing that she wanted to do was hurt a bystander, "Not that it'll matter in a bit."

All the while, the girl he had was still just standing there, eyes still wide, as if trying to process something. Axton snickered, holding the lady down, "Oh, so the dainty little angel thinks that she can hold her own out here? In the big bad world? You should really have your mommy and daddy out here with you, for your own sake."

"You should learn to shut your damn mouth, you know, before I punch your teeth in." Violet growled.

"And why should I?" Axton grinned, shaking his arm around, the lady with him, "I'm holding all the cards here, lil' angel. This kid is all I need to keep you in check."

His grin fell as the strange woman laughed, shaking her head, "A kid? No one has called me that in a long time…"

What happened next took Violet by total surprise.

For no reason whatsoever, Axton's back went rigid, eyes going wide. He quickly let the lady go, he himself backing up, throwing his hand with a knife out and about as he did so, "No...No, no, no...S-stay back! Y-you're dead, dead you hear me!? Get away, get away!"

He then ran off, much to Violet's amusement. She then turned to her, knowing that Axton would be caught and brought back soon enough, "So...Wanna try this whole introduction thingy again?"

"...By all means."

Violet gave her cheekiest grin, holding her hand out, "Hiya, my name is Violet, Violet De Angelus. And you are?"

"My name is...my name is Hope. Hope Cenhelm." She said, taking her hand and shaking it.

She really had a hard time putting an age on her, she looked young, but her eyes made her look almost timeless.

Honestly, it was kinda scary.

But she felt...something, around this girl. It was what she felt around Corvus at times, a sense of familiarity. To that, she shook her head, not sure where to take this.

Thankfully, the silence was broken when Axton dropped from the sky, landing with a bone-chilling crunch. To this, Violet kicked his side, before looking up to the roof, "Where were you earlier?"

In his usual show of elegance, Corvus dropped right next to Axton, landing in a formal bow before the two, "You did tell me to stay where I was positioned, my lady." He said, giving Hope a small smirk, "Besides, I was sure that you were in good hands."

To seeing him, her eyes narrowed, "What are you doing-."

Behind them the backdoor opened, revealing a rather frail-looking old woman, "Hope? What are you doing out here? It's dark."

"Oh, Ms. Henderson, I do apologize." Hope said, while Violet and Corvus moved to stand shoulder to shoulder, hopefully hiding the body behind them, "I came outside to inspect some noises that I heard."

"Ah, I see." Ms. Henderson murmured, looking the two over, before a smile came to her face, "Ah, you're the nice young man from earlier today!"

"Ms. Henderson, a pleasure to see you once again." Corvus said, bowing politely. All the while, Violet had to hide the snicker from seeing that shit-eating grin. He was totally enjoying this.

"It is terribly late, Hope." The older lady insisted, before opening the door for them, "Perhaps your friends would be okay with staying for the night? It isn't safe to be out here late at night, especially with the murders and kidnapping of recent."

"We'd love to stay." Corvus said with a grin, cutting off any chance Hope had to speak.

To that, Hope gave him a look, "We will be right in, Ms. Henderson, but first I need to run them by some rules of the orphanage."

The older lady only smiled, bidding them a goodnight, before disappearing into the building.

The moment she was gone, she gave Corvus a look, "I expect some things to be cleared tonight."

"As do I." Corvus nodded, only to be interrupted by Violet, who poked at Axton. She huffed, giving Corvus a look, "Is something the matter, my lady?"

"He's dead." Violet scowled, kicking the body over, before giving Corvus a look, "You planned it like this, didn't you?"  
"I have no idea to what you may be referencing to." Corvus said, his tone giving him away enough to claim that he wasn't lying, "But yes, I did know that it was a possibility that the fall could kill him."

"This orphanage is a five-story building." Hope deadpanned, giving him that same pointed look, "If that didn't kill him, I'd assume that he was inhuman."

Violet wore an expression of pure anger for a good three seconds, before she sighed, "From now on, hurt and disable them all you like, but I want the final blow."

"As you wish, my lady." Corvus said, giving a small nod, before picking up the body, "I will go on ahead and take care of this. Hope, if you'd be as kind as to take care of Violet while I am gone? I will not be long, not to worry."

Violet shivered. She may have been stupid, but she wasn't a total retard. She could hear the hidden message in his words, clear as day.

 _Do anything to her, and I will kill you. I'll find out._

Hope only nodded, showing Violet the way in, before casting a look over her shoulder. She said nothing, closing the door behind her, while Corvus pulled the body to rest over his shoulders.

They would have one hell of a talk when he got back.

* * *

Violet whistled, looking around.

They seemed to have walked in through a back door in a kitchen, if the oven, counter and dining table in the middle of the room said anything. Violet couldn't help but grin at how the long the table was, so many mismatching chairs, "I take it that a lot of kids come through here?"

"Even more stay here." Hope muttered, but her voice didn't sound the same as before. Outside, she sounded both calm yet stern, in a sort of nice way. But now, she was almost...sad, timid even, "We have a few extra rooms, you and your...friend will be staying there for the rest of the night."

"Hope it isn't as stiff as the one from the inn." Violet muttered, more to herself than anyone else, "Not that I'll ever turn down a chance to sleep, of course."

She followed Hope out the kitchen, through what seemed to be the main living room, before walking up the stairs, "There is a room, the second to the right, you are free to use it." Hope said, a small and comforting smile on her face, "If you'd like, we have some leftover fish from dinner. Would you like some?"

"That honestly sounds really good." Violet admitted, "But if I'm already asleep, would it be cool if I just had it in the morning?"

"Whatever works best for you." Hope said, giving a small nod, before the bottom of her mouth twitched, "I will speak to your friend more so about it when he gets back."

To this, Violet grinned, "Thanks a bunch, I owe ya!"

And with that, Violet went up the stairs, yawning as she did so.

Meanwhile, Violet went back down the stairs, planning to take a cup of tea or three to help settle her nerves, before she stopped at the bottom, eyes narrowing, "...What are you doing with her?"

"Oh, to think that you'd take up that kind of tone with me." Corvus muttered, leaning back on the chair across from the couch, a book in his gloved hands, "I'd assumed that years of service would have pounded that out of you."

"You're going to explain how she's...Human." Hope demanded, walking over to poke him in the chest.

Corvus gave her an unamused look, before shrugging, "Reincarnation is such an odd thing, is it not?"

"No, I know that you know a lot more than that." Hope scowled, before sitting back down on her couch, "And you're going to explain everything."

"...Of course, Kuro would have wanted that." Corvus muttered, before giving Hope a look. It was that same expression he always seemed to wear, one that suggested that he knew so much more than she could ever see, "But, I'm assuming that she'd also want you to tell me how you ended up here, Vanth."

* * *

 **Alrighty, that was fun to write!**

 **Honestly, in My Fair Lady (Which'll now be dubbed MFL), I didn't expect to fall in love with Vanth. Like, I tried to write her in to be likable, and originally I was going to kill her off for optimal sadness, but I couldn't bring myself to go that far.**

 **So, as a quick question, if you could see someone from MFL (Besides Corvus and Vanth) come back, who would you want to see? Of course, I have maybe one or two that I'll bring in anyway because I have plot idea.**

 **From there, I'd also like to ask, if there's anyone out there who wants to draw my cover or has an idea to draw, please to** **drop a review. I'd love to start a thing where a reader draws the cover. Partly because I can't draw, and also because it really does feel nice to know that people out there support me that much.**

 **Who knows, when I'm older, maybe I'll start a XD.**

 **Yo, if you** **sponsor me, I'll be sure to write exclusive content of your choosing XD XD XD.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop a review if you want (for a live on those), and I'll cya next chapter!**

 **Till than, Bai Bai!**


	3. His Fair Lady, Childish

**Hi hi!**

 **I have these pre-written, so I'm at least five chapters ahead at the time I post this, and doing that is surprisingly difficult.**

 **I have to keep track of what chapter I'm on, and I've got to make sure that I don't post the wrong chapter at the wrong time.**

 **It's a lot more difficult than other people let it on to be. Or, maybe I'm a special case of stupid.**

 **Anyway, I've wasted enough time.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

When Violet woke up that morning, two things came to mind.

One, this was not her room.

And two, she was hungry.

Of course, being the person that she was, the second problem far outweighed the first. She was ready to go for the dining room downstairs, not caring at the moment that she'd most likely have to wade through the legions of orphans down there, only to jump when the door opened, Corvus walking in, tray in hand.

Without asking, Violet took the tray, pulling the lid off to reveal, "...Salmon." Her mouth was undeniably watering at the moment, as she dug in, nearly forgetting to use the fork.

"I assumed you'd be hungry," Corvus sighed, standing off to the side, near the door, "You went to sleep a lot earlier than I thought you would; being how you also managed to sleep away most of the afternoon."

"Cat nap." Violet said without a second glance, before giving him a look, "Speaking of last night, I assumed that you spoke with that girl? Hope, if I remember correctly."

"I did indeed." Corvus confirmed.

"What about?" Violet asked, giving Corvus a look as she stopped eating, "And don't give me that 'you're too young to know' bullshit, I know when something's off. She did something to Camdyn. She's either a seriously talented with glares, as any woman is, or she's a witch. Kinda have cash on her being a witch."

"She is neither." Corvus nodded, "But are you sure you want to know?"

"Tell it to me straight." Violet insisted.

"Hope Cenhelm is a demon."

"...Her?" Violet asked, utterly confused, only to shake her head. Now she really had to be careful, "I thought that...But she's...Frail!"

"Don't be fooled by only appearences to easily." Corvus said, taking a moment to check his pocket watch, "But, on the note, I decided to offer her a position at the mansion."

"Umm...You sure that's safe?" Violet muttered, her mind still reeling, just a bit.

"I insist that she is safe to be around, you have my word that you will be well protected." Corvus said, that trademark grin spreading across his face, "Besides, I doubt a demon like her would have any real reason to go after you. We do have a contract, after all."

"Hmm...Honestly wouldn't mind her in the mansion, if she's okay with it, of course." Violet sighed. Surely she didn't have to worry about some tiny scrawny girl, demon or not, right?

Now that she was thinking it over, she couldn't help this feeling, it was like this small voice in the back of her head, telling her that Hope Cenhelm, or whatever her name could be, wasn't someone to be afraid of.

Of course, normally this voice brought upon headaches, but this was something that was to be listened to, right?

"My lady?" Corvus asked for what seemed to be the thousandth time. She didn't even notice Corvus' gloved hand on her back, helping her to stand up straight, worried eyes hidden behind an expressionless face, "Are you alright? Was it another vision?"

"Nah, just me thinking things over." Violet muttered, shaking her head with a groan, taking a moment to steady herself. She had a feeling around Hope last night, some sort of tug in the back of her head, but if even after a good night's sleep she was still getting these, Violet knew it for sure.

"She seems...familiar, in a sense now. You know, like that one movie you watched as a kid but never remembered the name when you grew up, and then after you watch it over again, you're so happy to have found it."

"That...would be logical, would it not?" Corvus mused, more to himself than anyone else, before a knock came to the door, "Ah, speak of a devil."

Corvus' hand went to the handle, only opening it when Violet nodded, revealing Cenhelm on the other side.

She'd traded in her dress from last night for a t-shirt and jeans, a messy apron over it. Her hair was tied back with a ribbon, but a few strands fell out of place, "Ah, you're both awake." She said, a small smile on her face as she moved out of the doorway, allowing them to come through, "Wonderful, I was just about to speak with Ms. Henderson about your...offer."

"And you'd like us to be present for that?" Corvus asked, his smile telling them both that he knew that he was already right.

"Is it so strange that you had to ask?" Hope shot back, before walking out, "Now come on, breakfast just ended, so we have some free time before the kids come back."

Violet and Corvus followed Hope down the stairs, back into the kitchen. From the windows in there, she could see all the children outside, laughing and playing together.

Ms. Henderson stood at the sink with someone else, the two of them washing dishes while conversing quietly.

Hope cleared her throat, making the two of them turn, Ms. Henderson's smile seeming to balance the scowl the younger woman held, "Ah, Hope! We were just speaking of you and your new friends."

"Nothing bad, I'd assume." Corvus said, smiling as well.

"There's nothing bad that could ever be said about you." Ms. Henderson said, before turning to the other girl, "Could you make us some tea? Bring it to the living room when you're finished."

The girl let out a noise between a grunt and a scowl, going back to work while Ms. Henderson walked us out.

In the living room, a few kids, no older than nine, were playing, giggling as they did so. Ms. Henderson shooed them out in the most motherly-ist way possible, but not before one of them caught a hold of Violet's coat, a huge grin on their face, "Play!"

"Umm…" Violet muttered, totally unsure.

"I will take care of this, if you'd like to go out and play, you should." Corvus said with a light nod, watching Violet follow the other kid out, holding a childish expression similar to the children.

"I envy girls like her," Ms. Henderson said with just a bit of jealousy, "Still so childish, full of life, for how old she looks. Some say it to be a curse, but after living for so long, you realize that being a child is the best gift life has to offer you."

"But that's just the ramblings of an old woman." Ms. Henderson said, shaking her head, as she took a seat, Hope doing the same in the adjacent chair. Corvus opted to remain standing, even when the other woman came in with her tray, nearly throwing it down on the table.

She said nothing, simply stalking afterwards.

"Ah, speaking of children, I'll have to apologize on behalf of Lucasha, my daughter." Ms. Henderson sighed, shaking her head as she pour each of them a cup, before reclining with her tea, "Now, what is it that you wish to speak of, Hope?"

"Well, you see, umm…" Corvus had to restrain himself from laughing. Now this was the timid little demon that he was use to, not some little girl believing that she could stand up to a prince.

When it became clear that Hope couldn't say it, Ms. Henderson shook her head, an experienced yet almost sad expression on her face, "You wish to leave, do you not?"

"We did, in fact, offer Ms. Cenhelm a job, Ms. Henderson." Corvus nodded when Hope didn't, who instead opted to look off to the side, almost ashamed.

"I see…" Ms. Henderson said, before laughing, "Dear girl, this is great news!"

"H-huh?" Hope said, the words sending her spiraling from her daze, "Ms. Henderson?"

"Dear, do you remember what I first told you when we found you out there?" Ms. Henderson asked, before rising from her chair, looking out the window as she did so, "I told you that I didn't expect you to stay forever, but I did hope that you'd use what you learn here to grow as a person."

"You wish to leave, and that is okay. I hope that you are able to go out, experience the world for all it has. You never know when your last day is, so if there is an opportunity, you reach out and you take it."

"So...You're okay with me leaving?" Hope said, attempting to clarify.

"Of course I am okay with it, I would hate to make you feel as if you are trapped here!" Ms. Henderson replied, before going back over to the kitchen, "Dear, if you don't quit, consider yourself fired, for your own good."

"Now, don't go thinking that you're unwanted here. In fact, if you ever need a place to go back to, the door will always be open. But I do believe that it is time for you to leave our little waif nest, hmm?"

And with that, as if the conversation was over, Ms. Henderson went back into the kitchen, the smile on her face making it look as if nothing had ever happened.

Hope sighed from where she sat, letting out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding, before giving Corvus a look.

"An expression like that would be enough to make any Tempter tremble," Corvus said almost mockingly, "But that won't work on a prince."

"I am a lot stronger than I once was, your highness." Hope shot right back with a scowl, rising from her spot to dust herself off, before walking past him, "I will be ready to go within the next half hour. If you need me, I'll be off in my room, packing up."

And with that, she went back up the stairs.

Corvus sighed, an odd feeling of satisfaction in his chest. The little demon had irritated him for years on end. From the annoying stuttering to the how damn clumsy she was. It was a sort of relief to find that she'd grown up, in a way.

He took a moment to look out the window, a soft smile gracing his face.

There Violet was, seeming to play hide and seek with the other children out there, laughing and giggling along with the rest of them.

Times like these, a part of him almost died. His Kuro wouldn't care to play with children, as childish as she was. His Kuro would have stuck to the side, acted kind, but would also drop an insult here and there. His Kuro would have stuck to himself or Hope.

He sighed, shaking his head. Due to Hope, his plan with Violet had slowly but surely gone down the drain.

Not that it mattered. He'd made a promise all those years ago. And if demons, namely one of royal blood, were good for anything, it was their promises.

* * *

On the walk back, it would seem as if Violet's energy had yet to run out.

That much was evident as she ran through the forest, giggling as she dashed about.

"She's going to crash when we get back." Hope sighed, "I've seen this is many kids. She may be older, but it still stands."

"Indeed." Corvus muttered under his breath, watching Violet as she danced about, giggling and prancing around as she did so. He'd long lost track of how many times she'd cartwheeled past.

Something in his chest began to bubble up, something that just felt...uncomfortable. He watched Violet parade about, giggling to herself as she did so, but still...Something didn't feel right…

"Do not dare."

Corvus snapped out of it at Hope's commanding tone, "I beg a pardon?" Corvus said, nearly spitting the words out. It didn't matter if he were playing butler at the moment, to have such a demanding voiced used against him, and by a past maid of his no less…

"I know what you're thinking, and you better not try anything." Hope murmured, shaking her head, "Do you not remember what we spoke of last night?"

Corvus held back his scowl, knowing that, by doing so, he'd admit his own type of defeat. Instead, he nodded, "I remember, I am not as foolish as those pesky Rifters."

"You'd be surprised with how many of us are intelligent." Hope murmured, attempting to swat away some pesky bug flying in front of her face, "How else do you survive in an environment like that?"

Corvus felt the need to retort, only to shake his head. It made sense, in a way that he himself did not fully understand, but it was something he'd have to live with.

For now.

He took a moment to think in silence. Hope, Vanth, whatever she decided to call herself; she only agreed to help Violet if her three conditions were met.

1\. Corvus would have to go by a new name.

He'd talk to Violet more on this later, but it was something that made sense. They weren't the only demons up here, and if his name were to spread, that could attract unwanted attention.

2\. In any situation, Violet's safety would come before his own.

This rule had made him snicker, just a bit. Of course that's how it would be, that was how a contract worked. But then, when he stated that, Hope had only given him a pointed look, before moving on to the last and most difficult to keep.

3\. No matter what, don't drop hints or attempt to force her to remember.

At first, he snickered at such a thing, but for a different reason. The whole point of this contract, which was his time limit, was to get her to remember. He knew it, the visions just solidified it. Kuro was in there, trapped maybe, and couldn't get out of this human shell. That's what he was there for.

But, of course, Hope had brought up a valid point…

 _"Force her to remember, and you could cause damage. She could have a relapse, see everything she'd forgotten, and have it leave, erasing every other thing with it. You'd turn her into a husk of a demon, a husk of a person. I've seen it happen, it's a nasty little process."_

Corvus sighed. He wasn't sure if he could trust her own word over what he felt. There was a chance; a chance that she was either lying or she'd witnessed a unique event.

Either way, he agreed to it, giving his word under his own name.

The true sign of a promise from a demon.

Besides a "Faustian contract", of course.

He came back to when he felt something tugging on his jacket sleeve. He looked down to Violet, who was now rubbing her eyes, "Yes, my lady?"

"Tired...Crashing…" And with that, she fell on him, barely having time to catch her tiny body.

"Wow, she made it farther than I thought she would." Hope said with a small smile, watching as Corvus picked her up, carrying her bridal style, "Than again, she's got to be at least 15, right?"

"She's 19." Corvus murmured to himself, walking on as if she weight nothing.

"Wow, you found her at the same age too?" Hope murmured, whistling at such a thought. At first, Corvus gave her a look of near horror, to which Hope quickly shook her head, "Here, someone 19 would be the same as a 19,000 year old back in…'the inferno'. Don't worry about it, she isn't considered a toddler."

Corvus shook off his reaction as best he could, forcing himself to walk on. She was so light, he nearly forgot that he had Violet in his arms. Now that he got a good look at her, there were a few differences poking out.

Ignoring the missing cat ears, of course, her hair was just a bit straighter. She was also a bit...what was the word...dainty?

Yes, she almost gave off the air of being fragile, on top of her already complicated temperament. Kuro was childish, yes, but not to this extent. Kuro knew how to hold herself high, almost challenging those around her to question her, just to be put into their place with a well timed joke/insult here and there. Even if he was the victim of a lot of that type of treatment, he'd give anything for just a hint of that to happen once again.

They'd arrived faster than he'd expected.

He'd managed to get the door open, allowing Hope inside first, before closing the mansion door behind them.

All the while, Hope looked around, a tiny bit of revulsion on her face, "Is there something bothering you, Ms. Cenhelm?"

"Don't call me that, unless it's during a professional event." Hope said, nearly snapping at him, before looking around, "I didn't expect this place to be so...filthy."

Corvus borderline scoffed, shaking his head, "I'll have you know, this mansion was cleaned this morning-."

"-Then you must have no idea how to clean." Hope sighed, shaking her head as she looked around, "Where's the broom closet?"

"It's in a small room in the kitchen, but I assure you that I am capable of-."

"Nonsense, how could a prince like you know how to get your hands dirty in this way?" Hope sighed, walking off as she muttered under her breath, "You go ahead and take her to her room, I'll begin legitimately cleaning this place up."

With that, she rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, before walking on, only to stop for a moment, "...Quick question...Which was is the-?"

"Down that hall, third door to the left."

"Much obliged."

* * *

"So, what's with all of that racket in Rochdale?"

"O', so you've 'eard? I 'ave no real clue, but I 'ear that another demon's come crawling out of 'ell. W'ether on contract or an escapee, I really don't know."

"It's been throwing off a lot of us here in Swinford; wonder is that Denholm witch has caught onto it yet."

"Who knows; I bet a 'uge reason that those 'unters stay in Den'olm is because of Lezabel. She runs 'er mouth a bit much, but she can get a job done."

"Good on her, it's about time she began giving back to this community. Now, what say you and I grab another bottle of Amarix? Heard from Thunax that this may be the last bottle till that Surface Smuggler comes back with more."

"I 'ear ya. Well, let's 'ope that the Abraxas kid comes back soon over a nice drink, yes?"

* * *

 **Can I be real with you guys?**

 **I knew from the beginning that I wanted to kill off the bar buddies. But now that they're gone, and I know you guys feel the same, I kinda miss them.**

 **So, with that said, I'm going to drop names here and there. Of course, it'll all lead up to something at the end, but till then, just a tip of the hat to most of the characters from MFL here and there.**

 **A lot of people have asked who's my favorite, and I've got to admit, I find it hard to choose.**

 **Zagan's great because he's based off of a real life friend of mine. So is Shax, but I'd like to think that Shax is that smooth guy that everyone wants to be. Vale is based off of that one smarts that everyone wants to call out, but no one ever does. And, last but not least, I kinda got the idea for Abraxas off of Erin from my other Black butler fic. just the general character and temperament came from there.**

 **But, if I had to choose, I'm stuck between Zagan and Abraxas. Zagan is basically demon Reinhardt and Abraxas is a sassy lil' shit.**

 **As for the reincarnation question, Kuro got another chance because she was once an angel. I kinda made up this idea that, no matter how an angel dies, they get reincarnated instead of going to heaven and hell and such.**

 **But hey, maybe there are some demons that come back, who knows!? XD**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop the reviews, and I'll cya next chappy!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	4. His Fair Lady, Intuitive

**Hi hi!**

 **And so, I decided to enter the Danganronpa fandom, only because I saw the execution animations and I thought that the art style was really nice...and then I get really into it...And now I'm stuck in this hole.**

 **So, while I'm on this, I'm just curious, so Imma ask.**

 **Who's your favorite Danganronpa character?**

 **Okay, now that that's done, I'll start this chappy!**

 **ONWARDS**

* * *

 _Violet looked around, confused._

 _She was standing in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, everything around her being dark and murky. She reached out, only to grasp at air._

 _"Wow, it has been a while, hasn't it?"_

 _Violet whipped around, only to jump back. Right behind her, as if appearing from nowhere, a little girl stood._

 _She had long flowing lavender hair, tied back by a purple ribbon. Her cerulean eyes were to forgiving, too kind._

 _Violet looked over the girl's expression. Everything about her screamed nostalgia, but she had no idea who she could be, no matter how hard she tried, "Who...Who are you?"_

 _She tilted her head to the side, "Do you not remember me?"_

 _"You think I'd ask if I knew?" Violet shot back just a bit too harshly, shaking her head as she did so._

 _"Just as hilarious as ever." The girl giggled, shaking her head, "My name is-."_

 _Violet didn't understand. She saw her mouth moving, but no words came out. She tried to read this girl's lips, but nothing she said made sense. She heard warbled nonsense, enough so that she felt a dull throb from the front of her head._

 _"Whatever you said, it made no sense." Violet muttered, holding her head._

 _The girl tilted her head to the side, as if thinking Violet's words over, "...He and his brother do NOT like each other. They'll fight often, but it's the mental fights they have that are the worse."_

 _What she said made no sense, but she could have sworn that the phrase sounded familiar. Either way, another jolt of pain ran through her head._

 _"Do you not remember that?" The girl murmured, before sighing, "Let's see...Hmm...Well, for starters, you always told the best stories."_

 _Another painful shudder down her spine._

 _"And no matter what, you never seemed unable to make me smile, no matter how bad my day was before that point."_

 _Violet nearly fell to her knees, her hands on her throbbing head. She knew it, deep down inside, she knew this girl's name, but what was it…!?_

 _"Till the end, you always kept an eye out for me. You made sure I was safe, regardless of what happened to you."_

 _"For that, I could never forget you, Ku-."_

* * *

Violet threw herself from her bed, holding a hand over her mouth as she gagged.

She was shaking like a leaf, nearly forgetting where she was, before the comfort of her blanket finally gave her just a bit of solace.

What had the girl called her? It was only the beginning of a name, no more than three letters Violet was sure, but the harder she tried to remember, the more she seemed to forget.

Violet let out a sound between a groan and a wail, before throwing herself back into the bed, holding her hands over her face.

All she got were headaches. Every time something, just a hint, came through her visions, she never knew what it really meant. But when she tried to think it over so more, she got nothing but arduous headaches.

"May I come in, Miss?"

"Yeah, yeah." Violet muttered, a bit more occupied with her headache over whoever was standing behind her bedroom door.

Said door opened slowly, Hope pushing in a cart, before closing the door behind her. She wore a different apron today, it was a pink frilly one that Violet swore she saw one of the late maids wearing, as well as a short but simple light blue dress.

"Good morning, Miss." Hope said cheerfully, opening the curtains as she did so, much to the irritation of Violet's eyes, "Corvus has gone out to do some intel gathering and shopping for groceries, so until he gets back, I will be attending to you."

Violet could only manage a nod, still holding her forehead.

Hope noticed this, and came over, "Is something troubling you?"

"It's nothing too bad," Violet insisted, before standing up from her bed, her legs just a bit shaky, "I just feel like my head's trying to kill me."

"A headache?" Hope asked, walking back over to the cart to pour something into a tea cup.

"Yes and no." Violet sighed, accepting the cup when Hope held it out, "It's sort of a deja vu feeling, after the initial stab through the forehead."

"A type of nausea, perhaps?" Hope asked, before taking a seat in front of Violet, "Would you like some help?"

Violet hummed, unable to do much other than that with how she was still sipping her tea. She had no idea how Hope knew that jasmine was a favorite, but being how she was like Corvus, Violet wasn't going to ask.  
"Okay...What is your full name?"

"Violet Mae De Angelus." Violet answered, taking another sip as she waited for the next question.

"What are your parent's names?" Hope went on, continuing with the questioning as she went back to the cart, pulling out what looked to be a tray.

"Madison and Oliver De Angelus." Violet answered again, nearly spitting out the words.

"Good, good, okay…" Hope murmured, placing the tray down next to Violet, "What is Corvus' name?"

"Corvus." Violet said with a light laugh, "You kinda gave away the answer."

"Did I?" Hope muttered, before shaking her head, "Okay then...What's my name?"

"Hope. Hope Cenhelm."

The moment those words left her mouth, a voice in the back of her head snapped at her. No, this was wrong, something with this whole exchange was very wrong. It felt like there was a huge clue, staring her right in the face, and yet, she couldn't see it.

"Violet...Violet, are you alright?" Hope murmured, waving a hand in front of her face, "You look pale…"

"No...No, I'm fine. I'm sure if it." Violet said, as if saying it aloud would help her clear her head. But it didn't. It was like a hot twisting knife that someone had put up against her forehead. It just went from uncomfortable to painful really quick.

She nearly jumped when a damp towel was pressed to her forehead, "I apologize, if it was something I said to make you...like this." Hope muttered, sounding as if she was scolding herself rather than really apologizing, but Violet took it either way.

"Don't worry about it, really, it's cool." Violet said, shaking her head, "Really, I'm good. I think I'm just having a little bit of an off start to my day, that's all."

She'd give herself time to think it over later. Right now, she'd kill for a decent meal, "Do we have food?"

"I have it waiting for us in the dining room as we speak," Hope murmured, fixing the bed up as Violet moved to her closet, a tiny part of her just a bit excited to look over all the dresses she'd gotten the day prior.

She opened the closet, peering inside to look over her options. Normally, she wouldn't care less. She always had the same uniforms for years. Whenever it was a ceremony or a cult function of any sort, she was forced to wear the same white robes. Other than that, all she had were simple T-shirts and skirts.

For whatever reason, she just felt a tiniest bit of annoyance, running her hand through the different dresses. She had no idea why, maybe because there were so many different choices. She shook the feeling away, pulling out a nice mint green dress, slipping her brown coat over it. She marveled at how fluffy the inside was, and how warm and comforting it felt.

She followed Hope out of her room, her head wandering about as she allowed Hope to lead her.

As hard as she tried, she couldn't help but feel like she was close. That little girl was about to call her by a name, but what was it? It didn't sound like any of the other names she'd heard yet, But then again, her memory wasn't exactly the best…

She made a mental note to have Corvus get her a notebook and some pencils.

Finally, she collapsed onto the couch, making herself comfortable as Hope went to the kitchen. She'd tried to go into the kitchen when she was much younger, having followed one of the maids, curious as to where they go when they weren't serving/playing with her. She had been shooed out, but not before being able to set a pot or nine on fire.

How she managed to do it to this day, she had no idea.

She groaned, looking out the window as she twisted the ring on her finger. She stared out the window, the garden staring right back. She had to admit, she never noticed how nice the garden really looked. Being how she hadn't really had a chance to go out when she was younger, she'd never really had a chance to get a real good look at it.

But even then, she could have sworn that it looked different, somehow.

She was knocked from her thoughts when Hope came back, holding a tray over her shoulder, "Are you sure that you are well, Miss?" Hope asked lightly, placing the tray on the low table before the couch, "I can go and make you another cup of tea, if that is to your liking."

"That honestly might help." Violet said with a small smile, reclining in her couch as Hope poured her a cup, only to shake her head, "No, no that isn't right…"

"I'm sorry?" Hope asked, confused as she put the teapot off to the side, "What was that?"

"It's nothing to big, don't worry." Violet said with a small smile, "It's just...That title sounds weird to me, coming out of your mouth, you know?"

"What's wrong with it?" Hope muttered, an eyebrow up.

"I don't know, it just sounds so...formal." Violet muttered, taking another sip from her cup, before finally taking a whack at breakfast. She wouldn't lie, she preferred Corvus' eggs and toast just a bit more, but she wasn't just about to complain, "I know that you work here and all now, but I still see you as more of a, how do you put it...I just don't want you to feel like I own you, you know?"

To that, Hope's expression seemed to change, just a tiny twitch at the corner of her mouth, "What would you prefer?"

"Just Violet would be okay." Violet insisted, taking another bite of her toast, "Or, Lady Violet if it's something really formal, but honestly, just my first name is good."

For a moment, Hope just stood where she was, smiling. She seemed to brighten up from that one comment, her smile looking so happy, so...familiar. It spread to her cerulean eyes, so bright, so enthusiastic.

Why did it look do familiar?

In a moment, Violet's gaze went from Hope to the figure, standing in the back of the room. It was a girl with curly brown hair and deep purple eyes. She was smirking, but there was a lot more than just humor in her expression. She wore a red hoodie and black shorts, her boots about knee-high. She had...something strapped to her back, and all the while she had her arms crossed over her chest, a devilish smile on her face.

She had that expression, the one that said that she knew a whole lot more about this situation than Violet ever would. She didn't even realize that she'd shot up from the couch until she felt the low table hit her in the shin, causing her to wince in pain.

The moment she blinked, the figure was gone.

"Oh my, Violet? Are you alright!?" Hope said, running over from her spot to help support her.

Violet's head was swimming. Unlike names, faces were a lot easier to remember.

That girl, she was someone important to her. She knew that much.

"I'm fine, I think I'm going crazy." Violet said, attempting to laugh it off as she walked around the table.

Of course, with her luck, her leg managed to get caught by the table.

Cursed low tables.

Right before she could hit the ground, she was caught and held to something warm. She didn't have to look up to know who had, once again, walked in just in the nick of time, "I leave you alone with Ms. Cenhelm for a few hours, and you manage to trip over yourself."

"That one's not on her, I'm just stupidly clumsy." Violet admitted, allowing Corvus to pull her up, dusting her off as he did so, "So, any leads on Greyson?"

"I was able to get a few leads in the next town over." Corvus said, taking some papers out from his jacket pocket, ignoring Hope the entire time, "A place called Penketh. Since Penketh is farther than Rochdale, I have arranged for a carriage to be within our possession. It is at the road and ready for your convenience."

"Alright. Good." Violet muttered, looking over what he'd handed her. One was a map, and if the logo was correct, she could only assume that he'd gotten the map from that clothing place in Rochdale. Another was a sort of pamphlet of Penketh, explaining popular tourist destination spots, names of power, and a few other fun facts.

"Well, since it's far away, I'm going to go ahead and put together a bag." Violet murmured, "Once I'm done, all three of us should head out."

"Is that an order, my lady?" Corvus asked, almost cheekily.

"Damn straight." Violet said, mocking his tone as she walked out, only to stop, "Oh, I need a notebook. And a pen or two."

"Consider it done." Corvus said with a small bow, watching her walk out, before his attention and mood turned. The moment Violet walked out, head buried in the papers she'd gotten, Corvus was onto Hope, glaring her down, "What. Did. You. Do?"

"I don't know." Hope admitted, rubbing her forehead.

"No, I saw it all." Corvus said, nearly spitting out every word, "Whatever you did, it was the same thing that you did to Camdyn."

"You think that I'd ever have any sort of ill intentions against her!?" Hope said, nearly shrieking, before rubbing her forehead, "It's just...Something happened to me, when I came up here. I don't know how to explain it-."

"You had better try." Corvus growled, eyebrow twitching.

"I don't have a full grasp on it yet, but I can make humans…see things." Hope said, speaking out each word only after carefully managing it. She refused to believe that, after all this time, she was still afraid of the Crow Prince, "But I can't always control it. It's just that…whatever they see, I can also see."

"And what, pray tell, did you both see?" Corvus said, speaking through clenched teeth at this point. He wanted nothing more than to rip her spine out, here and now. She'd already given him a whole lecture about how he shouldn't try to force memories, and here she was, making her see things.

Controlled or not, he had half a mind to kill her on the spot.

But no, he shouldn't. If and when Kuro came back, she'd never forgive him for killing her little maid.

Even if she were a clumsy, dainty, confused and falsely confident maid.

"Kuro."

Corvus made a light noise between a growl and a scoff. If it was hard to keep from killing her before, it was now near impossible to not just reach over and snap her neck with one quick move of his hand.

"I... I don't know what I did, but I know for sure now." Hope muttered, seeming just a bit sheepish. It was understandable, Hope should have felt bad for putting Violet through that, and he hoped that she felt every drop of guilt, "There's something seriously wrong with her."

"Well, I don't expect sudden and painful headaches to be anything normal." Corvus said, his tone somehow as angrily impassive as possible.

"No, it's not just that…" Hope muttered, looking for the right words, only to scowl at the lack of available options, "I don't know how to put it into words, but it's a feeling that I knew well. I'm just saying, we need to be careful."

"Duly noted." Corvus nearly spat, the two sharing a look of spite, before Violet walked back in.

She had hefted a rather heavy-looking duffle bag, one of the many things that the clothing store had managed to sneak into her purchase bag.

How and why, Violet never knew. But being how things were at the moment, she wasn't about to complain.

She walked in, standing there at a complete lost for a good few minutes, "...So…Umm...Did I miss something?"

"Nothing important, I can assure you of that, my lady." Corvus insisted, bowing before moving to pick up her bag, lifting it as if it were the lightest thing on earth, "Is this all you plan to bring? The trip there will take most of the day."

"This is all I need." Violet insisted, going through her mental checklist, before snapping her fingers, "Oh, I almost forgot! when we get there, I need to get a notebook, and a pen or three."

"That can be done." Corvus murmured, carrying her stuff out the door, "accidently" walking into Hope on the way out of the room.

To that, Violet looked between the two, confused, "...You two demons sure there isn't some sort of fight for dominance? Cause if that's it, I'd like a five second head start."

"I assure you, you're in no type of harm, and there is no hostility between us other than a mutual disagreement."

"If you say so." Violet said with a shrug, before going down the hall, following Corvus out, "If it's really nothing, let's get it going! I've never been in a carriage before, and maybe if I'm lucky, Corvus will let me drive!"

* * *

 **I can't help it, I have to say something.**

 **So this awesome person out there, Mokki Takashi, drew me a cover for this fan fiction, and it's sooooooo nice!** **I get total "Ancient Magus Bride" feels from it, and I love that anime, so you can imagine how much more I love the cover! So, another quick thank you to Mokki!**

 **どうも有難うございます!**

 **Any who, I** **hope you guys enjoyed, drop a review if ya did, and I'll cya guys next time!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	5. His Fair Lady, Callow

**Hi hi!**

 **I'm so happy that school is going to be done soon, just one more quarter and I'm home free, I think.**

 **You know how, when you're younger, you feel like you can do anything when you grow up? Well, now that that time of job hunting is closing in, I have no idea what I want to be.**

 **I mean, making video games and voice acting sounds fun, but I don't have any sort of experience on it. Maybe I could become a writer, or a sort of director for movies, cause in all honesty, I have a lot of ideas I'd love to get out there, but I have no idea where to begin when it comes to that.**

 **But, you know what, that's my problem, but if you guys have ideas I could entertain, I'm more than happy to listen in!**

 **But, enough of that, let's go on.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Corvus did not let her drive.

"Now now, a young lady such as yourself should not be driving a carriage." Corvus insisted, ushering her into the carriage, Hope already seated inside, "The two of you shall stay in the carriage itself. With how far Penketh is, it will be a long and rather treacherous ride."

"Aww, but still!" Violet grumbled, Corvus basically being forced to pick her up and place her in the carriage, "Come on, I'll just sit right next to ya!"

"No." And with that, Corvus shut the door.

Hope couldn't help but snicker just a bit, as Violet pouted, "Forgive me for asking, but why don't you just order him?"

"I'd really rather not use those all willy nilly." Violet admitted, rubbing the back of her head as the carriage began to move, "Besides, as dense and stupid as I can be at times, it's my job to trust his judgement. He is supposed to take care of me and all."

"I guess that's...One way to put it." Hope murmured. She looked rather cozy, which made sense since the carriage itself was rather large, even with Violet and her bag inside.

"Well, either way, at least I can see the outside through the windows!" Violet cheered, nearly throwing herself out the open window of the carriage, sticking her head out akin to how a dog sticks its head outside the window of a moving car.

"H-hey, don't do that!" Hope said, her voice between a shout and a laugh, as she instinctively reached out to grab the bottom of her dress, her grip nearly giving out with how half of Violet's body was outside of the carriage.

"The whole reason I allowed you to come along was to make sure that Violet stayed safe!" The two of them could hear Corvus chiding them from the front, steering the horses down the mountain, "That is not too hard for you, is it, Hope?"

"Shut your mouth and keep your eyes on the road, old Crow." Hope hissed, pulling Violet back into the carriage, "Maybe you should have put iron bars on these windows, Mr. Perfect."

"I beg a pardon? It seems hard to hear you over all this road noise!"

"Stupid old Crow." Hope muttered.

Violet, on the other hand, was busy trying to pull twigs out of her hair, spitting out a few leaves here and there. The entire time, she had a huge smile on her face, "You know, I totally forgot that this mountain is a forest, and that forest meant trees."

"Are you alright?" Hope asked, unsure how to approach this. Despite the mess she was at the moment, Violet was beaming, "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"Like twigs are gonna take me down." Violet grinned, flopping down on the other side of the carriage, "Hey, this thing has surprisingly comfortable seating."

"Indeed." Hope said, shaking her head with a knowing smile. To this day, it was astonishing to see how her mind could jump from one thing to the next.

Violet, who seemed to have grown tired from attempting to throw herself out the window, finally went to pull out the map.

It was the same one that Corvus had given her during his last trip to Rochdale, which reminded her of something small, "Oh, that's right. Corvus!"

"Yes, my Lady?"

"I need to get you a new name." Violet said, her legs swinging about from her seat, "Corvus sounds a little too…devilish. I don't want people to keep tabs on us because of it, you know? I need a code name for you! Agent Corvus, codename: Acnologia!"

"...I beg a pardon?"

"Alright, that one doesn't float your boat…" Violet murmured, putting way too much brain power into thinking it over, "What...About...Jin Kirigiri?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Shu Tsukiyama?"

"That sounds...odd."

"Isaac Dian?"

"Isaac...Who?" Hope asked, slowly getting more and more confused.

"I got it! Kyoya Ootori!"

"That sounds like a name of pure entitlement and power." Hope snickered, "Maybe that one is fitting."

"Next, if you'd please." the two girls laughed at how tired the demon sounded. Of what, they had yet to know.

"Mmm...You...Look like...A Masumi Nishijima!"

"Way too Japanese." Hope murmured, shaking her head.

"Well, I guess Nagi Kengamine doesn't work either than…" Violet murmured, before snapping her fingers, "What about Owl!?"

"Out of all the birds…" They heard Corvus trail off, only to stop when the carriage made a sharp right turn.

"Fine, fine, no wise old owl for you." Violet said with a fake childish sneer, "Hmm...Let's see...Yeah, I got nothing."

"Where did you even get that original list?" Hope murmured, only slightly confused.

"J. Michael Tatum is a God among men." Violet insisted, her face as serious as humanly possible.

"...Who?"

"If you don't know the guy, you don't deserve to be alive." Violet scowled, shaking her head, before leaning back into the seat, "Okay, let's see...What else is there? There's gotta be something."

"You know, Corvus has always struck me as an old-English type of person." Hope said, throwing her own two cents in.

"Yeah, but all those names sound so weird…" Violet murmured, "I mean, crap, I don't know where to begin!"

"Hmm…I got it." Hope insisted, "Give me three names."

"Okay…" Violet murmured, thinking on it a bit, "Let's go with...William...Ronald...And…"

Violet stuck her head out of the carriage window, nearly giving Hope another heart attack as she did so, "Hey, Corvus!"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Pick a name!" Violet said with a huge grin, "Come on, so I can finally decide on something."

"If it is an order…" Corvus murmured, taking some time to think on it, before finally deciding.

"Sebastian."

"Sebastian?" Hope said with a cheeky almost-sneer, "Like the name of some common mutt?"

"Who the hell would name their dog Sebastian?" Violet murmured, pulling herself back into a car, "Anyway, that isn't important, I guess! I mean, I don't have navy blue hair and an eyepatch, so I should be fine!"

"What...Is that supposed to mean?" Hope asked, confused.

"Honestly, I don't know. It's just a hunch." Violet said, before waving it off, "Okay, so now what? I'm enjoying this road trip game. 'Name that demon'! Wait, or no, maybe 'pin the title on the Corvus'!"

"...Okay," Hope murmured, holding up three fingers, "Choose a number between one and three. Each number corresponds with a name. Choose a number, and you choose a name!"

"Alright!" Violet murmured, once again putting in way too much thought into such a simple question, before holding her eyes shut, "I'm going to go with...Three."

"Sebastian it is." Hope said with a nod, her smile almost too foreseeing, "I wonder if he'll sit and heel like a dog."

"I still don't know why you insist that Sebastian is a dog's name." Violet muttered, finally looking over the map that she had opened a while ago, "But hey, maybe I'll get him to sit and heel one day."

"I do not plan to act like a dog."

"You might be ordered to do so though, sometime soon." Hope said with a grin, before going over to sit down next to Violet, doing her best not to be tossed around as the carriage hit a rock or ten, "Now then, on to the map, I presume?"

"On to the map!" Violet responded, "Now then, let's see here…"

The map folded out like a sort of pamphlet, showing both the mountain that the De Angelus mansion resided on, and another one in the other corner of the paper, "Mount. Vliahn sounds like a real spiffy place."

"Spiffy?"

"Spiffy." Violet insisted, tracing her finger along the map, before finally stopping where it needed to be, "And that, I assume, is Penketh. Damn, it's on the other side of the map. Maybe I should have brought more stuff."

"I'm sure it's not that far." Hope insisted.

"If we make good time, we should be there right before sunset." Corvus shouted from the driver's seat.

"Well, that's a whole lot of time for me to take a nap," Violet shrugged, "I mean, assuming that I'll be able to take a nap."

Violet's attention returned back to the map, looking it over. All that was presented (With Rochdale being in the middle, of course) were two other towns, some place called Lindow and…Wait…

"Hey, Hope?"

"Yes?" Hope answered, leaning over to look at the map.

"Do you have any idea what this one place is?" Violet asked, pointing at a town. Like the others, the town was represented by a small square, which allowed space for the name and a little information.

There was one square, west of Rochdale, that was blacked out. It looked like it was scribbled out, possibly at the last second.

Hope looked it over, squinting, only to shake her head, "I've only ever been to Rochdale, but I did hear of a town west of there."

"Well, there's got to be a reason that it's blanked out, right?" Violet muttered to herself, only to shake her head, "No, never mind, I'm probably just overthinking it."

It bugged her to no end, how one of the towns looked to be scratched out, but she shook her head. It must have just been some sort of irritating scratch in the back of her head, right?

Yeah, it had to be just that.

Violet looked out the window much more, noting how the dense forest was now traded for a dirt road, with little to no green around, "Wow, this is something."

"There is nothing out there." Hope murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.

"I know that, it's just a change of scenery." Violet sighed, leaning forward on the door, "I've only ever seen 'forest' and 'forest during winter'. It's something new, so even if it's a damn landfill, I'm going to enjoy it."

"Wow, some choice of words you have there." Hope chuckled, before reclining in her seat. For a good long time, the two just took the time to really look out the window, watching as the dirt road began to grow trees here and there once again, before Hope finally spoke up, "If I may ask, how was your childhood?"

Violet inwardly cringed to herself, before scratching the back of her head, "Damn, where do I begin?" She muttered, laughing almost awkwardly.

"You do not have to speak of it if you do not want to." Hope insisted, suddenly going rigged, "I'd hate to make you feel as if you have to speak."

"Nah, it's cool, really." Violet insisted, a charming grin on her face, "Honestly, it's one of those things that probably feel a bit better after being spoken about. Never had anyone too interested, really."

"Well, that's quite the shame." Hope said, maybe just a bit too loud, but Violet ignored it.

"Let's see, where to begin…" Violet murmured, thinking on it for a second, "Well...I was alone but never really alone, you know? I had my parents, when they weren't busy with, you know, using child sacrifices and basically hazing new members; but still, they were 'family'. I know that I had two older sisters, I use to hear a bit about them. Peony and Lilac."

To that, Violet laughed, "Looks like my cult-crazy parents liked their flowers, huh? Anyway, I never got the chance to really meet either of them. I heard that Peony was sent off as a sort of tribute to another family, never to be seen again. Lilac, on the other hand, was used as a sacrifice when she was around 4 or something."

"That's horrible!" Hope exclaimed, holding a hand over her mouth.

"If I'm honest, I can't really bring myself to care Violet said, waving it off, "Besides, never got the chance to really meet her, you know? By the time I was a newborn, they were both gone."

"Anyway, where was I… Ah, yes, alone but not really alone. I made friends. I'd sneak down into the basement, where they were all kept, played with them and chatted with them a lot. I remember, before my "formal initiation", I never knew what happened to those who were escorted out and never came back. Mallory said that someone had spread around a rumor about how those who left were really just going home with their parents; but you could never tell with Mallory Thatch, she'd do any underhanded thing to get what she wanted. Tried to teach me to fight once, when I got into a fight with another girl. Again, taught me all kinds of underhanded tricks."

"So…What did happen to those who never made it back?"

"I think you know." Violet said with another odd chuckle, "Children mixed with cults. Add in a bit of 'they left and never came back', I think we're both smart enough to know what happened."

"And your parents organized all of it?" Hope asked, almost sounding as if it was unbelievable.

"Some people will do anything for a buck or two. Others do things because their forced to." Violet said with a distasteful expression, giving the window a look as if her parents were right outside, "They did it for fun."

"They did it because they were sick and tired of living the same-old nobility life. So, they decided to fund enough money to build their own place in the mountains. They kinda just went from there, from what I understand."

Violet nearly laughed at Hope's expression, "I know, crazy, right? But hey, that's life, I guess."

"Where was I...Oh, yeah, so, I had a bunch of 'friends' down in the basement. There was Mallory Thatch, her dad was a thief. She taught me all kinds of underhanded tricks; er, more like she used them so much I kinda caught on. Who else...Oh, there was Carolina Axton."

"Wait, I've heard that name before…" Hope murmured, rubbing her chin, "Isn't that the last name of that one guy? Camdyn?"

"Yeah, Caroline was his daughter." Violet said with a light shrug, "A lot of people wanted in, but when they couldn't afford it, they offered up other things."

"Like their children!?" Hope whisper-shouted.

"Especially their children." Violet nodded, "It was in high demand, and it was something people didn't mind giving up. Anyway, I was...Oh, Caroline. Damn, she was about as expressional as a wall. She tried to teach me once, she said that she'd called it 'the poker face'. I could never do it well, but it helped me to really pick up on people's expressions and what they're thinking."

"Sounds like you managed to learn a lot from these girls." Hope noted.

"Almost everything that isn't common sense, I learned from them." Violet grinned, leaning back in her chair as she walked deeper down memory lane, "There was Lilian Greyson, she taught me to blend in and stay hidden and quiet. It wasn't too hard, being how I'm seriously tiny I was, and still am...Oh, and Florence! Florence Sutton, taught me to imitate for shits and giggles."

"Yeah, as bad as the place was, there were a lot of good memories." Violet said with a grin, "One time, there was this guy, Dias Conrad; only guy to stay at the basement for more than three months. Dias wasn't like most of the other kids; his mom was forced to give him up."

"Anywho, Dias was my eyes to the outside world. He'd tell stories about how he and his mother went all over the world. I remember that this one time, he was telling some story about his mother, Seiji Conrad, and how she'd defeated a dragon. I remember I was so entranced with the story, I only snapped out of it after Florence clocked him in the side of the head."

"She what!?" Hope exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, you can't really expect much when our crap parents decide to trade them in for some chance to summon a demon or something." Violet said with a small shrug and a smaller smile, "Anywho, she and Lilian use to complain so much about his stories all the time, saying that whatever nonsense that came out of his mouth was pure rubbish; but I couldn't help it. I'd never seen the outside world, and he use to explain it so vividly."

"Well, for as long as he stayed, he'd do his best to tell stories on the run, basically. Whenever he'd tell something that sounded even a bit farfetched, he'd have to keep an eye over his shoulder. Once, he was trying to tell me about how his mother once wrangled a giant eel into submission, but right before he could finish the story of how his mother delivered the finishing blow, Caroline managed to hit him in the back of his head so hard, he knocked out on the spot. Being the good friend I am, I made sure that he woke up...With a phallic object drawn on his face, of course."

Violet cackled at the memory, all while Hope wasn't sure if she should have joined in or continued her expression of disbelief and near-revulsion, "It would seem as if you had quite the childhood."

"I guess so, huh?" Violet said, about to go on, only to stop, the hairs on the back of her neck going up.

Er, she felt like they were, at least.

The carriage came to a sudden stop, right as an arrow flew through the open window of the carriage door, nearly catching Hope's foot.

Violet was still processing how an arrow had flown in from the window, while Hope panicked, nearly jumping through the roof of the carriage, "What in the-!?"

Hope had tackled Violet down before she could finish her sentence, Violet watching as an arrow flew right past her shoulder, embedding itself into the cushion behind her.

The door was thrown open, a gloved hand throwing itself onto Violet's shoulder, before ripping her out of the carriage, pulling Hope out as well, being how the two had been a tangle of limbs within the carriage.

"My lady, are you injured?" Corvus asked, just a bit of concern in his normally placid expression.

"Nah, I'm good." Violet said, managing a grin, before yelping as Corvus pulled her to the side, hugging her close as an arrow embedded itself into the ground she was standing on just moments ago.

Hope jumped to the side, doing her best to keep the horse, who was going ape shit, in control. Of course, it wasn't too easy since Hope herself wasn't exactly calm at the moment, but it was the thought that counted.

"Why the hell!?" Was all Violet could really say at the moment, as Corvus herded her behind a tree, blocking off the rest of her with his own body.

"It would appear as if we have a welcoming party from Penketh." Corvus muttered, flicking away an arrow as if it were nothing more than a fly.

"Yeah," Violet nodded, holding herself tightly behind the tree, "Find them and bring them back alive."

"Oh?" Corvus said, almost teasingly, "Is that an order?"

"My God, what do you think, genius!?" Violet all but shouted, throwing up the hand that held her ring, "This is an order, Sebastian; find the people shooting at us and bring them back alive!"

"As you wish, my lady." Corvus said, doing a small bow as he did so. To this, Violet scoffed, how could he have time to do that!? Before she could ask, he'd vanished.

Violet peeked out from the other side of the tree, yelping when an arrow flew past her nose, "Hope! Are you okay?"

"Fine!" Hope insisted, still attempting to calm the horse down, "Wow, this is a lot harder than people make it look!"

"If you wanna trade jobs, I am so down!" Violet shouted, attempting to offer a sort of thumbs up from her spot, only to have an arrowhead graze the side of her hand, "I swear to God, Corvus! One job!"

When Violet peeked out again, she caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure, an arrow drawn back being the last thing her mind really registered before ducking back behind the tree, wincing when the arrowhead managed to graze her cheek.

Before she could reach up to wipe the blood away from the light cut, another gloved hand reached up to do it for her, dapping her cheek with a pure white handkerchief, "However you managed to get injured all the time will remain a mystery to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Violet scowled, turning to him with the full intention to chew him out for not doing anything, before instead locking eyes on the binded hooded figure.

Getting a closer look on the guy, he wore a heavy-duty-looking red-leather coat, with black belts and silver buckles used to keep it closed. The hood was pointed Assassin's Creed style, with the design of two intertwined diamonds held on the right shoulder.

"Huh, looks like you can follow orders." Violet cheered, looking the person over. She couldn't help but whistle, picking up the quiver and bow, before tossing it to Corvus, "Put those in the carriage for me, I'd like it if you also checked on Hope and the carriage. I'd hate to come back and realize that there's another one of these guys too late."

"I doubt that it is safe to leave this stranger is safe." Corvus muttered, "Binded or not."

"I'll be fine." Violet insisted, making a shoo motion until Corvus finally gave in, walking back to the carriage.

Once he was gone, the hooded figure spoke, "I'm the only hunter out here."

"Like I'd believe your word right off the bat." Violet scoffed, throwing the hood off of his head before crossing her arms over, "Now, you're gonna tell me who you are and why you're here."

The man, no, the boy had dark blue eyes, black hair messy, with that same intertwined diamond symbol under his eye, looking as if it were burned into his skin, "And please, do tell, why would I feel intimidated by some little girl like you?"

Violet shrugged, "Honestly, I have no clue." She admitted, before sitting down next to the guy. She looked around, like a child before they tell a super secret, before leaning in, "But, if I were you, I wouldn't be afraid of me. I'd be afraid of the two demons with me."

To that, the man laughed, "You think that a Denholm hunter would fear the very things they hunt!?" He guffawed, much to Violet's amusement. He threw his head back, laughter almost fake, "You think that I, Kinsley Denholm, would be afraid of the demons we were sent the hunt?"

"Oh, of course not." Violet grinned, "I also didn't expect you to spill all that information, but hey, you did it. Good on ya."

Kinsley's laugh was cut short, only to scowl and curse, "Crap, this is why Blythe doesn't like sending me out on missions; she says I slip too much information! They all say that, all five of them say it!"

"So there's a total of six of you." Violet murmured, unsure if it was skill or luck that made him talk.

Of course, in her head, it was obviously her skill.

While Kinsley ranted on, Corvus came back over, an odd expression on his face, "My lady, the carriage is ready for us to depart. We are not too far from Penketh. What shall we do with him?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Violet muttered, twisting the ring around her finger as she thought on it, "But get this; he's a demon hunter."

To that, Corvus laughed, it was rather tame and almost sarcastic, but it was something, "Something like him? A demon hunter? How amusing."

"Yeah," Violet said, about to go on, only for her mind to go blank once more as a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her close, trapping her against his chest.

"S-stay back!" Kinsley croaked, trying and failing terribly to look imposing, holding a knife to Violet's throat, "I'll slit her throat! I swear, I'll go it!"

Violet, rather than being scared silly, instead sighed, looking both disappointed and disinterested, "Damn, I've never felt someone up before, but I'm pretty sure that you're doing it wrong."

"S-shut up!" Kinsley growled, voice still shaking, forcing the tip of the dagger to dig into the bottom of her chin, "I'll do it! This is some Grade-A demon-killing shit! I'll take you out, right here, and right-!"

Violet felt a rush of wind go past her, making her eyes blink. By the time she'd opened her eyes, the body behind her crumpled, a large gash in the side of his neck seeming to have appeared.

Violet gave the once-living Kinsley a look, before her eyes slowly traveled over to Corvus, who was looking down at his dripping-red gloves, "This will most definitely stain." He muttered softly to himself.

Violet looked over from him, then the body, then back, "...I want this." Violet muttered, tugging the coat off of the person.

Unknown to Violet, she missed Corvus' second of bewilderment-turned-amusement expression, as he helped to pull off Kinsley's coat, "I see that your objections are in order." Corvus murmured, tossing the coat to Violet, who nearly fell over catching it.

"Damn, what the hell!" Violet squeaked, attempting to consolidate the coat, trying her best to hold it up, "There's got to be at least a hundred hidden weapons on this thing." Violet muttered, walking back over to the carriage.

"What would you like me to do with the body, my lady?" Corvus questioned, watching as Violet walked back over to the carriage.

"I don't know, really." Violet shouted back, stopping to think for a moment, before chuckling, "Hold on, I think I got it. Do you know who the Denholm's are?"

"At this moment, I do not, my lady. Why?"

"Well, they sent a hunter, it's only fair to send him back. How long do you think it'll take for you to track down these 'Denholm' guys?"

* * *

 **And we're good!**

 **I think I speak for a lot of Fanfiction authors when I say that we have an addiction to creating and introducing OC characters.**

 **I'm not just talking about Mary Sues, I just mean in general. A lot of authors that have stories like these, there are just so many characters that we want to introduce to the story that we kinda go crazy without realizing it.**

 **...At least, that's how it is for a lot of other authors that I've spoken to XD.**

 **Any who, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop a review if you do, and I'll cya guys next time!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	6. His Fair Lady, A Dog Lover

**Hi hi!**

 **I don't have much to say in this beginning, so without further ado...**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

After Corvus finished hand-delivering his "present", the trio were back on the road. Looking out the window, Violet could tell the moment they drive into Penketh.

As they came to a stop just outside the city line, Violet couldn't help but whistle at how much bigger this place looked, "Wow, looks like Rochdale, but upgraded."

"Hey, Rochdale has its own charms." Hope muttered childishly, faking a pout as she did so.

Before Violet could snapback with something equally childish, Corvus opened the door, "We shall be keeping the carriage here for the time being, watch your step now."

Corvus helped Violet out of the carriage, leaving Hope with the Denholm's coat, "Hey, what do we do with this?" Hope asked, holding the coat out as if it were laced with poison, "It's beginning to reek of holy water."

"Well, it is the coat of a demon hunter, apparently." Violet muttered, catching it when Hope tossed it her way. Violet looked it over, "Well, I mean, it looks comfortable enough." Violet murmured, before pulling it on. It was a big fit, but a fit nonetheless, "God, this guy was seriously lanky." Violet muttered, fiddling with the latches as she put it on, before throwing the quiver over her shoulder, holding the bow in one hand, "What do you think?"

"You look like the coat is attempting to eat you." Hope said, her tone almost flat as she dusted herself off, looking at Penketh as she straightened her apron. Why she wore that out, Violet really didn't know.

"Well, I was kinda going for an Izayoi Sonosuke look, but whatever." Violet shrugged, following the other two into the city.

It was a lot different from Rochdale, feeling bigger and newer, in a way.

Instead of singular houses, there were many tall buildings that seemed to outline the town. In the middle stood all these little shops, sprinkled around here and there, with a large mansion standing in the middle.

"Damn, this place looks like some sort of kingdom." Violet muttered, guestring to the mansion as they walked by, "There's the castle too! All we need is some moat filled with flesh-eating alligators, and boom, we've got ourselves the whole dictatorship!"

"Don't say that so loud!" Hope chided, hitting her lightly over the head, while Corvus looked around. At that moment, they stood in an all but empty street, almost an alleyway. There weren't too many around, but those who were seemed to cower in fear from the sight of Violet.

That in itself was enough to strike him as odd. As Violet had stated before, there really was nothing to be scared of when it came to her. Right off the bat, Violet just looked like some absent-minded child, a "borderline ditz", as Kuro once said.

"But as nice as this place looks, I can't help but think it's just a bit empty." Violet muttered, walking on, only to stop suddenly.

Something felt...off.

Before she could say anything, Violet was tackled to the ground, pinned to the floor by...Someone. Violet wheezed, trying to push this person over, only to cough, two hands slowly closing in around her neck. She felt another hand trying to tug off the coat she was wearing, both forces making her quickly light headed.

Violet had two seconds to look up at this person, a hooded figure with deep blue eyes, similar to her own. Everything else about this person was covered up by the old worn-looking coat.

"Huh, you reek of them, but glow like...No way." The figure hissed, only to yelp when Corvus grabbed them by the back of their hood, throwing them into a wall.

He dusted off his hands, giving the crater he'd made with the person a look of approval, before looking Violet over, "Are you alright, my lady?" He asked, helping her up.

"I'm fine." Violet insisted, watching as the person slowly staggered out of the wall. That in itself was enough for Violet's eye to go wide, there was no way any normal person could just walk away from that, "Look out!" Violet shouted, picking her bow off of the ground where she'd dropped it, before drawing back an arrow.

The figure chuckled, hood flying off as they, no she, rose. She had pink hair that stood straight up, as well as deep blue eyes that looked like they knew more then they'd ever let on. On top of that, with the way she held herself, she looked like she was trouble, no question.

"Ha, I thought I smelled a rat." The girl chuckled, looking Violet over, before shaking her head, "Should have known you weren't a Denholm hunter, even if you smell like one of them, you've got that faint glow."

"Corvus, get her!" Violet shouted, taking aim with the bow, before letting go of the drawstring.

Of course, being how she had little to no practice with said weapon, the arrow flew straight to the ground, much to her embarrassment.

Corvus tugged at his sleeves, about to jump her, only to have the girl laugh, "Corvus!? As in the Crow Prince?"

She doubled over, laughing hard. She ducked under Corvus' initial grab, spitting her tongue out as she did so, "Wow, the high and mighty prince himself, serving under contract, I'm guessing, to the one that smells of a-."

"Be silent." Corvus muttered, cutting her off as she ducked under his kick, "I do not want to listen to any more of your silly prattle."

"Well, in that case…" the girl winked, before throwing something down to the ground. Smoke and dust flew up, giving three seconds of cover before falling, the girl long gone.

"Corvus, find her!" Violet shouted, sheepishly retrieving her arrow as Corvus ran off, "Damn, she came out of nowhere, I swear to Christ."

"Don't say that." Hope muttered with a shiver, only to jump when Corvus popped back out of nowhere, doing her best to pretend that she hadn't squeaked from her sudden sheer shock.

"Forgive me, my lady, but I seem to have lost her in the crowd." Corvus muttered, bowing his head to hide the smirk on his face, making sure Hope saw it. It only grew when Hope scoffed, giving her a look.

"Shit." Violet muttered, shaking her head, "She just vanished?"

"Into the crowd, yes." Corvus sighed, "Trust me; pink hair that sticks up like that isn't something you lose easily."

"Shit." Was all that Violet could really manage, rubbing her head as she said so, "Was she just some crazy druggy? Cause I've seen my fair share of crazy druggies; she could totally fit into that category."

Hope shook her head, still staring at the spot that the girl had disappeared at, "Something about her felt...Off, almost."

"Well, I'll tell you one thing," Violet muttered, looking the coat over with near disgust, "She was after the coat. Of course, I don't blame her, did you see what she was wearing?"

"It would probably be best if we were able to hide that…" Corvus murmured, looking around, before doing a quick bow, "One moment, please."

With that, he dashed off, having vanished for just a few seconds, before returning with a dark brown messenger bag, "Here you are."

Violet was about to thank him, only to stop, "Hold up; you can go ahead and grab a bag in less than a second, but you can't get me a notebook?"

"Have you tried checking inside the bag, my lady?"

Violet did so, the action making her sheepishly pull out a leather-bound notebook and pen, "Have I told you that you're the best demon butler ever?" She said with a grin, only to frown when she pushed her hand deeper into the bag, "Hey, why don't I feel a bottom?"

"It's a…special bag." Corvus explained, "You reach in, and as long as you put it in there, you'll always be able to find it."

"That...Is really fucking cool." Kuro said, testing it out by dropping her bow inside, watching it disappear into the bag, "Corvus, you're the damn best."

"I assumed that went without saying, my lady." Corvus smirked, watching Violet shove the coat in, mindful of the new book.

"Yeah, keep rubbing it in, see where that'll get you." Violet muttered, not even half serious with a knowing smile on her face as she managed to shove the quiver in there too, "Come on, we need to move."

After making sure that the coast was clear, the three walked out, Violet a little too happy with her new little magic bag.

They walked through the town, admiring shops and whatnot, before Violet finally brought it up, "Back there, that girl, she called you the 'Crow Prince'. What was that about?"

"Ah, well…" Corvus trailed off, deep in thought for a moment, "Back in…No, wait, not in public...Where I'm from, you could say that I've achieved a high title in my life."

"A title such as Prince?" Violet nearly guffawed.

"Crow Prince." Corvus corrected, taking a moment to inspect a stall, only to shake his head, "What rubbish sewing work that coat has. I can do so much better."

"Wow, that kinda explains why you act like you've got privilege shoved up your ass."

Hope seemed to snicker from where she stood, but other than that, chose to keep quiet. Corvus, on the other hand, froze for a good minute, taking some time to rectifying his posture, "I do believe that you meant to say that I am able to act with a certain professional level of pose and perfection."

"You can go ahead and say whatever you want to, I'm sticking to 'privilege shoved up your ass'." Violet grinned, joining Hope as the two cackled.

"I'd prefer you not to say it like that, at least not out loud." Corvus sighed, shaking his head as he walked on, ignoring all the swooning women that seemed to be attempting to follow, "I'd really rather not attract more attention then I already have."

"Whatever you say." Violet muttered, shaking her head, before childishly giggling, "privilege up the ass, I kill myself."

"You have no idea." Corvus muttered to himself, which lead to Hope shoving her elbow into his ribs with more force than needed.

This, added to his current expression of discomfort, caused Violet to laugh harder, nearly slamming her fist into a nearby stand post.

Before any of them could say something witty, they watched as the crowd of shoppers began to part, "Hey, what's going on?" Violet muttered, only to be shoved behind Corvus, "Hey, what the hell?"

He pushed a single finger to his lips, watching and nodding as Hope did the same, before parting to the other side.

Violet watched from behind Corvus as two people walked by, her stance stiffening just a bit as he put a hand over her bag, blocking it off. The two people walking past had the same coat on that Violet had shoved into her bag. And, judging by the way they walked and spoke, heads held high yet masked and hidden, they were just a bit more professional than the one that they'd managed to return to sender earlier today.

One of them stopped, prompting the other to do the same, just for a second. Violet stiffened even more when they turned to her, everything from the mouth up covered in shadow. Even though she couldn't see their eyes, she felt as if two daggers were piercing through her soul.

As fast as it happened, the two continued on their walk, and moments later, the market was back to normal, "Okay, won't lie, I've got mad chills going up my spine." Violet said, nearly vibrating for a good two seconds as if to prove her point.

"So, this town is filled with them." Corvus muttered, looking around for any other signs of stranger activity.

"And it looks like, to a point, they seem to run the place." Hope added on, a hand holding her chin up as she thought harder on it, "At the very least, they've got power here, judging by how those other people reacted."

"They don't seem to carry themselves like that one boy we say in the woods," Corvus muttered, walking on as he spoke, unconsciously keeping an arm over Violet, who was really to up in the clouds to notice, "So they could be elite, for all we know."

"And if they really are demon hunters, then they've just become a big issue." Violet muttered, letting out a huff of a sigh, before a stand caught her eye, "Oh, give me just a moment."

Before Corvus could pull her back, Violet had dashed off to a stand, eyes growing almost too large as she squeaked, "Oh my God, so cute!"

Hope walked over skeptically, an eyebrow arisen, before she too let out a soft gasp, "Oh my, Corvus, she's going to want one."

"I already want one." Violet muttered, ignoring the disapproving look on the stand-owner's face, as she reached into a box.

Corvus walked over, an eyebrow arched, only to have him jump back just a bit, Violet thrusting something into his face. The smell hit him before the visual did, but when both synced up, Corvus' nose scrunching up, "No."

"But why!?" Violet asked with an almost high-pitched whine, nearly shaking the puppy about, not that the puppy seemed to mind much, "She's so cute!"

"It's a male, my lady."

"...But he's so cute!"

Hope snickered as she watched Corvus groan, "My Lady, a dog will do nothing but stink up the manor. We will have to clean up after it, and train it, and-."

"Corvus, I want this dog." Violet said, her expression set, borderline pouting, "Look, he likes me!"

Violet pet the puppy, a little doberman now that Corvus was over his initial disgust. Corvus glared at the dog, slightly impressed and irritated when the dog decided to growl right back, "But he doesn't seem to like me."

"Well, I bet if you pulled that stick out of your ass and learned to play fetch, you two would become great friends." Violet said with a slight sneer, before holding out her other hand.

Corvus sighed, looking off as he handed her the money, to which she gave to the guy running the stand, before dashing off, puppy still in hands.

Corvus sighed, rubbing his forehead, "Why couldn't it have been a cat? A cat would have been fine."

"Not all cats are all cute and mewls, you know." Hope muttered, the two watching Violet from afar, giving her just enough space to skip about with her new best friend in tow, "Er, I'm sure you do, you were once with Kuro."

"Cats are great," He said, his tone making his statement fact more so than opinion, "They do not talk about useless things, or do them."

"Write that on a shirt, why don't you." Hope muttered, ready to go on, only to stop.

Violet was oblivious to the odd-looking figure, watching her from afar. Corvus took in the coat and hooded face, needing just a few seconds before briskly walking over to her, "My lady, I do believe that, if we are to stay here, we should find a place to stay for the night. A hotel, perhaps."

"Umm…" Violet muttered, head cocked to the side, obviously confused, "But we still have a whole lot of time! I wanted to walk around a bit more-."

"No, it's really a better idea to find a place to stay now." Hope insisted, looking around, before pointing to a tall building, "Come on, over here, I'm sure that this is a place we can stay at!"

The two cheerfully herded her into the building, puppy still in tow, not stopping till they had her inside, "Do you think that we'll be okay?"

"I don't see anyone following us." Hope muttered, looking around just to make sure, not seeing anyone outside the hotel that looked like they belonged in a cult, "But hey, while we're here, I'll get us a room."

With that, Hope walked away to the desk, leaving Corvus alone with Violet, puppy still in her arms.

"Okay, little big guy, you're getting really heavy really quick." Violet muttered, setting the dog down before giving Corvus an odd look, the expression increasing when he kept looking on with his chin held out, "Okay, what was all of that back there?"

"My lady, my first priority is to keep you safe." Corvus muttered, tugging at the bottom of his gloves as he kept watch around, "We had one of those Denholm hunters, watching us from afar."

"Really?" Violet muttered, only half listening as she watched the dog run around in circles, "No way."

"You cannot afford to be so aloof." Corvus muttered, shaking his head, "In a place like this, you should not be so disconnected with your environment. It is unsafe."

"But that's why I've got you and Hope." Violet murmured, giggling when her dog ran over to lick her hand, "And now, I've got Heen too!"

Corvus gave her a look, "...Heen?"

"Hmm, you're right, maybe not Heen, doesn't look…'old' enough." Violet muttered, before bending down to pet the puppy, "I'm not good with names."

"Noted." Corvus muttered, possibly still just a bit offset by his new "nickname".

"Hmm...What about...Black Hayate?" Violet said with a grin, before shaking her head, "No, you don't fit that name either." Violet muttered, sighing.

Corvus couldn't help but just watch. It was just so...interesting to watch. It was just Violet having what was basically a conversation with herself, and yet, it looked so amusing to him.

"Hmm...I think I got it!" Violet said, finally deciding as she lifted the dog back up, her arms doing their best not to twitch too much.

"Say hello to the newest member of our family! Fenrir!"

"...Fenrir?" Corvus asked, "As if the wolf from Norse Mythology?"

"Well, technically his full name will be Fenrir Okami Cedric De Angelus, but yep!" Violet said with a grin, nuzzling her cheek against the dog's very unthreatening face, before letting him go, "A good strong name for a good strong dog! I'm going to call him Fen for short!"

"You...Do as you wish, my lady." Corvus said with a sigh, before watching as Hope came back, shaking her head.

"They don't have any rooms here." Hope sighed, shaking her head, "Er, they have rooms, but they aren't selling."  
"Why?" Corvus and Violet asked, confused.

"Apparently, Penketh is having more than one problem." Hope muttered, following the other two out of the place, "It's not only this place; they're not selling space to any outsider or wanderer."

"That's stupid." Violet grumbled, Fen attempting to attack the fluff of her shoes, "No wonder this place looks so dead."

"Apparently, they're having a sort of terrorist problem," Hope muttered, keeping her voice low, "From the descriptions, it's that girl from earlier. She's been causing quite the problem for a while now."

"Wow, so we ran into a terrorist?" Violet muttered, "...Cool."

"That's not this town's only problem." Hope muttered, "Those Denholm Hunters, they live in that huge castle in the middle of town. They run this place, dictator style. They seem to be something to fear, just as much as this terrorist. At this point, they won't let the commoners come or go."

"How did you find this crap out?" Violet asked, only slightly confused.

"I'm told the eyes are the windows to the soul, as well as fear." Hope said with pure sincerity, as if it had another meaning.

Violet allowed herself to be confused for a good two seconds, before shrugging it off, "Okay, you do you!"

Meanwhile, Corvus kept a sharp eye on anything that looked too out of the ordinary.

"You feel that too?" Hope asked, her eyes on the rooftops. Corvus only nodded, making sure to look around the dark alleyways and anywhere that looked like a decent hiding spot. He knew it was bad when Violet went from running around with wonderment to standing off behind Corvus. Even her new dog looked tense.

Someone was watching them, and they could all feel it.

* * *

From the shadows, she watched them, a small smirk on her face. To think, she'd find more demons here, of all places! And no, it couldn't be any other type of demon either, it had to be the Crow Prince!

She cackled to herself from the rooftop, leaning on the chimney, before the smell hit.

She turned to the side, catching sight of a billowing red coat, before dashing off, holding her coat close to her as she hopped from one roof to another.

She grinned, leaping over whatever was in her way, "You haven't caught me last time, what makes you think you'll manage it now?" She cackled over her shoulder, taking a sharp right turn off the roof, jumping right off.

She tumbled to the ground, taking a few more turns down a few alleyways, before finally coming to a stop.

She looked around a bit more, making sure that no one had followed her, before walking off, chuckling to herself as she pulled her hood off, fixing her hair up a bit.

There was too much going on in Penketh, at least, for her taste. Of course, the only way to get them out was to lead those damn hunters come back here, but now she was stuck.

Maybe it could work out for the better, with those newcomers having just arrived not too long ago.

She walked on, finally stopping at what looked to be a random service door on the side of a random wall. She looked around a bit, before prying the door open, closing and locking it behind her.

"Shelter, sweet shelter." She muttered, dropping her bag off on the side next to the door, her coat following onto the floor straight after.

She dusted off her onsie, a black one with a tank top top and shorts, light pink tights on her legs. She tried to kick the dust and dirt off of her shoes to no avail; not that it mattered, brown looked a bit better than white did.

She kicked some stuff to the side, trying to find her way to the bedroom, only to have a voice behind her clear their throat.

"No wonder your residency is so dirty."

The snapped her head back, back arched as her eyes went wide. There he was, leaning on the wall, arms crossed over with a knowing smirk on his face, "But that seems to be the least of your problems at the moment, aren't they?"

"What are you doing here?" She growled, looking around for a way out. She'd chosen this place because there was only one big way in and out, thus easy to defend and hide in. She never thought that her place would be infiltrated, but that was the least of her worries at the very moment.

"I just want a few questions answered." Corvus muttered, giving her a look around, "Who are you?"

"Anyone I want to be." She hissed, her fingers closing around the doorknob behind her, her other hand reaching deep into her pocket.

Before Corvus could react, she threw a vial at him, the glass shattering upon impact. The commotion was enough for her to slip back out of the room, smirking a bit when she heard the Crow Prince behind her coughing and wheezing, before her appearance began to change.

Her hair was pulled back into her scalp, becoming shorter as her eyes went from dark blue to green. Her jumpsuit molded into a sort of trench coat, while her skin went from a ghastly pale to a darker mocha.

Of course, in her hurry, she didn't have time to look around before shifting, and thus had little to no chance when she was blocked off.

It was one of the girls from earlier, the one she hadn't tackled, "So that's what you do, to get in and out of tight places." She muttered, holding her arms out to keep her trapped, "You can shift."

"Well, good thing my Surface Skill is decent." She said, making a face, "Nothing like you two idiots; haven't been up here long enough and you're both under contract."

"That's where you're wrong." the other girl scowled, seeming to glare holes into her forehead.

Right before she could book it, her vision began to warp, almost folding in on itself the longer she stood there. She felt as if someone had uncovered her eyes, peeling away the reality she was use to and throwing her into a whole different world.

For two seconds, she saw someone. A figure she hadn't seen in years stood before her. It was so quick, but to her, there was no way to misplace and forget that face.

She had a little bit of time to reach out to whoever was before her, not knowing if it was even really him or not, her vision going black as she did so.

"...Marax…?"

* * *

 **Want me to let you guys in on a little secret?**

 **When it comes to Violet and Kuro pushing the fourth wall, I tried to make it so that Kuro kinda did intentionally, like she knew what she was doing and she knows** **that she's breaking the fourth wall.**

 **Violet, on the other hand, just kinda says whatever comes to mind without really knowing what she's talking about, she just says it in her own sense because, to her, it makes sense.**

 **If that made any sense.**

 **Long story short; Kuro does it on purpose, Violet does it without really realizing that she's doing it.**

 **Another fun side fact, I was looking up names for dogs, and I found it so funny because, on this one site, I was looking through names, and Corvus was a name that popped up.**

 **Looks like poor Sebastian is a dog no matter which way you try to look at the dude.**

 **Erin: Doesn't matter; my pet is better then hers.**

 **Amy: A doubt that a white tiger is as cute as a doberman puppy.**

 **Erin: You're just jealous that you don't get a pet.**

 **Amy: Mewtwo is close enough. Dude is like a giant cat.**

 **Me: I don't even know why you two show up anymore. I haven't touched either of your stories in so long, and I'm starting to run out of money trying to fix that fourth wall.**

 **Erin: It's your fault for** **creating two characters that like to break the fourth wall.**

 **Amy: Yeah, Kuro and Violet do more damage than we ever did.**

 **Me: I...Well...Fuck...I don't have to answer to either of you.**

 **So, I hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to drop reviews (for I live on those), and I'll cya next chappy!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	7. His Fair Lady, Calling Bullshit

**Hi hi!**

 **I'd just like to ask you guys before I forget, since I plan to not have any ending author's notes.**

 **Who do you guys like more so far; Kuro or Violet?**

 **I think that I have a good idea of who you guys will choose, only because one has a finished story and the other is still in what is basically development, but I'd like to think that there might be someone out there that favors the under dog.**

 **I'm a curious little kid here! So, feel free to leave what you think in the reviews!**

 **But, enough with that, let us get a move on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet made sure that the door was closed and locked one last time, before looking back over to Corvus, her eyebrows still drawn together, "So…Run me through this all again?" Violet muttered, looking over to Fen for a quick second.

She was happy to see that her new puppy was fast asleep, curled up in a corner and snoozing away in a little trash pile he'd seemingly built up for himself.

Such a cute puppy, Violet could die.

Corvus sighed, making sure that the unconscious demon was tied down well, "She's a demon, my lady. And, for whatever reason, she is able to shapeshift."

"Which is how she 'vanished' earlier." Hope finished, leaning on a far wall.

Violet nodded, her mind already wandering about, "Okay." She muttered, taking the place in.

It was messy but is also had a sense of comfort to it. It was as if she'd lived in a condition like this before, a messy place but still clean enough to sort of feel 'at home'. There was a bedroom off to the side, the sheets being basically thrown to the floor a thing that she took a small mental note on.

The living space itself was just a bit dusty, but if she could manage to ignore the pieces of trash here and there, really take in the beaten-up couch and loveseat, it really did look like a nice place.

At the moment, the she demon sat in the middle of the living room, tied down to a wooden chair they'd gotten from her bedroom. She was still out of it, for reasons Violet still didn't really know, but at the same time, it was something that she didn't need to know.

Corvus looked like he could carry a mean right hook.

Violet plopped herself down on the loveseat, looking the she demon over. She honestly looked like something out of a sci fi movie, with her pink hair pointed up and all the weird stuff hanging off of her.

Violet couldn't help but reach forward, wrapping her fingers around some rod-like object that just hung there, only to be stopped when a hand snatched her wrist, the nails digging into her skin, "Didn't your parents teach ya not to take what isn't yours?"

"Release her." Corvus scowled, grabbing the demon's shoulder. He must have used too much force, since she winced and let go immediately, giving him a look.

"The great Crow Prince, what's he doing to end up in a place like this?" the girl snickered, jutting out her chin towards Violet, "Taking orders from some runt like her?"

"Runt?" Violet repeated, eyes wide.

"I'd like to ask you the same thing." Corvus scowled, giving her a look, "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I asked first." The girl snapped, a Cheshire grin on her face, "Come on, don't you know common mannerisms?"

"She's got a point." Violet muttered to herself, "We're following a lead on a person we're looking for."

"Oh, missing person's case. You get a lot of those from where I'm from." The girl cackled, before turning to Corvus, "I was talking to your friend over there, runt, but I'm going to go ahead and take a while guess; you're stuck on contract."

"I'm not a runt." Violet muttered to herself childishly, pouting ever so slightly.

Corvus nodded, as if he didn't want to waste his voice on her, before Violet went on, "Wait, 'from where you're from'? Where are you from?"

She shrugged, "Hell."

"H-hell?" Violet stuttered, her jaw dropping for a bit, only to shake her head, "Nah, no way you could be a demon."

The girl laughed, throwing her head back as she did so, "Well, riddle me this, little runt, can humans do this?"

Violet only had to blink, before nearly jumping out of her chair, a mix of a yelp and a shout leaving her mouth. One second, that pink-haired girl sat there, and the next, she was looking at herself, strapped down to the chair.

"I go by Jade. Jade Wilkinson." She said with Violet's voice, her snicker sounding much too familiar, "And I'm here 'cause I'm stuck here."

"Because of those supposed 'demon hunters'?" Hope pitched in, "I don't think that they mean too much harm; we ran into one on the way here. He wasn't too much of a pain to take out."

The girl, Jade, cackled to herself, "You must have taken out Kinsley, right?"

"How'd you know?" Violet muttered, still not entirely over the fact that this girl could shapeshift, "Don't tell me she can read minds too."

"I assure you, she can't." Hope muttered.

"Wow, you guys really are new to this place, huh?" Jade grinned, shaking her head, "Well, I'd be happy to help you all out, explain a bit about this place; if we could get me out of this chair."

"You're not leaving that chair." Corvus said, basically ordered, as he took a seat right in front of Jade, "You, however, are going to tell us what you know."

"Why would I tell ya if we ain't friends?" Jade asked, sticking her tongue out.

"We are NOT friends."

"Then I'm NOT telling you."

"Wow, she knows how to play the game good." Violet cackled from her seat, "GG, no re boiz."

"I take it you'd like to handle this, my lady?" Corvus sighed, just a hint of spite in his tone.

To this, Violet grinned, "Watch and learn." She teased, popping what little collar her coat had as she did so, before sitting before Jade, "So, I'm under the impression that you demons like to make deals."

"Depends if they're worth my time." Jade said with the same cheeky grin.

"Well, being how you're all tied up, you're not really in a place to make any demands." Violet said, before shrugging, "But, since I'm always looking to make new friends, I'm willing to come to some sort of agreement."

"...I wanna ask a question before we go on."

"I'm listening." Violet nodded.

"You said that you're looking for someone," Jade yawned, suddenly looking very bored, "Give me the name, and I'll consider whatever deal you propose."

"What can a name do for you?" Violet questioned.

"Besides sate my intense boredom and curiosity? I'd be able to know the angle you're working at." Jade said, before winking, "Other than that, who knows what else I could use this information for?"

Hope scoffed, "Well, when you put it that way, there's no way on earth we'd tell you-."

"We're looking for a guy named Edward Greyson." Violet said, face nonchalant.

Corvus resisted the urge to snicker as Hope's jaw dropped, Jade doing the exact opposite, throwing her head back with howling laughter, "Well, didn't think some kid like you would be so blunt."

"Call it a verbal gift." Violet shrugged, "Some conversations call for different approaches. Depends on what I need to hear."

"And what makes you think that I'm not lying right now?"

"I like to bullshit people a lot." Violet admitted, grinning right back as Jade morphed back into herself. Good thing too, it was beginning to get real trippy real fast, "I'm normally really good at pointing that shit out in other people. Can't bullshit a bullshiter."

"Well damn," Jade grinned, "I like ya, runt. Alright, now, about this offer you're thinking about."

"We help you get out, but I need your help to get to this guy and kill him." Violet said, leaning back in her seat, "What do you say to that?"

"You're going to have a hell of a time trying to get into the castle." Jade sighed, shaking her head, "This Greyson guy; arrived here not too long ago in a hurry. He's been living it up with the other Denholm members in that huge castle in the middle of town. Haven't seen him out an about since. If you want to get to him, you're going to have to find yourself a way in and out of there; and I'll tell ya now, that place is a huge maze."

"You've been in there before?" Corvus questioned.

"They're the whole reason I came here. Er, a big secondary reason, I guess." Jade shrugged, "I've been in there more times than I can count at this point, and lemme tell ya, the only way to get through a place like that is trial and error."

"There's got to be a map somewhere in there." Violet insisted, fiddling with the strap of her bag, "Do you remember the place?"

"I could draw out a map, if I have to." Jade grinned, flexing her hands, "But I can't do that too well when I'm tied up like this, now can I?"

"I think you can manage." Corvus spat.

Violet could feel the distrust radiating off of both Corvus and Hope, shaking her head, "Come on, she's willing to help us out."

"Have you forgotten that she's also the one that tried to choke you out not too long ago?" Corvus sighed, placing his head upon his forehead, as if trying to massage out a headache.

"Wow, you still don't trust me?" Jade said with a fake pout, "We just found common ground, did we not? I want the Denholm hunters gone, and you want one of their ranks, someone affiliated and within their possession, dead. If that isn't common ground among creatures like us, I don't know what is."

Corvus gave Jade a dirty look, "...I want your word. Make a pledge."

"Asking a pledge of me?" Jade snickered, "Take me to dinner first."

"We keep you safe, and you lead us safety through the castle." Corvus muttered, ungloving his hand before reaching out with it.

Violet never really noticed it before, but he had some sort of symbol on the back of his hand, similar to the one embedded within the ruby of her ring.

Jade gave his hand a look, waving her hands around uselessly, "Can't shake a hand when my own are all tied up."

Corvus looked to Hope, the two sharing a small nod, before Hope undid the ropes.

The moment she did, Jade jumped back, tackling and pinning Hope to the ground, cackling as she did.

Corvus was quick to move over, only to have Jade hull Hope up, taking the rod from her belt. She pressed a button, a blade popping out, "Take one more step, your highness; I dare ya."

Corvus' expression hardened.

Violet, on the other hand, backed up, hands held out, "Damn dude, drop the mini spear." Violet muttered, "We can all be friends here! Come on, let's just make the deal, and then-."

"Watch your next words." Jade warned, expression suddenly hardening. It was kinda creepy, being how she was able to jump from mocking to serious, "They could spell death for your friend."

Corvus gave Violet a look, one that obviously told her that the best course of action would be to keep silent.

Unfortunately, Violet wasn't one to keep silent.

With the most serious expression she could muster, she looked Jade in the eye, "...You like jazz?"

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, assuming it didn't land on some of the trash on the floor.

It took two painfully long seconds before Jade cracked a grin, letting Hope go, "Someone who calls me out on my bullshit and is also willing to play along with my practical jokes!"

"Practical jokes?" Corvus repeated, Hope giving her the same look he had on his face.

Violet, still just a bit confused, nearly jumped when Jade darted over, "Alright, you keep me safe, I get you into the castle, to your guy, and you get to kill'em!" She exclaimed, hand held out.

She gulped, taking a quick second to look over to Corvus, who remained as expressionless as ever, "...Deal." Violet said, taking her hand and shaking it.

Violet nearly jumped, a cold shiver going down her spine the moment she took Jade's hand. Jade grinned, "There is no backing out when it comes to a demon's pledge." She said with a wink, before walk into her room, "We leave in five, I gotta get a few of my things together before we try to get into that castle."

With that, Jade walked out, closing the door behind her. Er, she kicked the door shut behind her, the sound loud enough to wake Fen up.

The moment the door was closed, Hope cursed under her breathe, "That disgusting, low-life shrewd! She thinks that she's just so strong and crap!"

"Well, she looks like she could probably hold her own." Violet said with a grin, before shaking her head, "Wow, that...that was a trip." She sighed, Fen walking over to sit down right next to Violet's boot, like the cutest guard dog in the world.

"I find it commendable that you were able to see and call her bluff." Corvus noted.

Violet only answered with an uneasy smile, "Yeah, let's go with that."

"Wait," Hope muttered, her hands up, "That whole time she had me at knifepoint, with a shard spear if I may add, you were just winging it?"

"Hey, let's just leave it at the fact that it worked, alright?" Violet grinned, puffing her chest out, before going back over to the loveseat to plop herself down, Fen jumping up to curl up on her lap.

She took a moment to take out her new notebook, pleasantly surprised when her new notebook was easy to find, as well as her pen.

Oh well, she wasn't about to question demon magic.

She took some time to write down names. Names she'd remembered from visions, as well as detailed accounts of what she'd seen. Maybe when she had more time, she'd go ahead and try to draw them out.

She was just putting her notebook away when Jade kicked down her door, a grin on her face.

She'd decided to ditch the coat, going in only her bodysuit. It held more belts this time, two around her waist, one over her shoulder, and one around her thigh. Each one held onto a different tool/weapon.

She grinned, looking Violet over, "Since you're the only non-demon here, I'm going to go ahead and hope that you've got some sort of weapon?"

"Weapon, yes." Violet muttered, reaching into her bag to grab her bow, sliding it over her shoulder, "Practice, no."

"You'll do fine." Jade insisted, patting her on the back, before looking the other two over, "You two can hold your own?"

Corvus nodded, "To a point, yes." Hope offered, shrugging.

"Good, you'll need it." Jade said, before cackling, "Now then, let's get it going, shall we?"

Jade threw her door open, walking out, "Oh, runt, I'd recommend that you leave your little dog here."

"Huh?" Why?" Violet muttered, patting Fen's head.

"He won't be able to keep up with where we're going." Jade grinned.

Violet was tempted to pout and fight for it, only to shake her head, "Fine, fine." She muttered, bending down to Fen's level, "Look, big guy, I need you to stay here, okay?"

Fen just sat there, head tilted to the side as Violet walked out of the room, only beginning to whine when Corvus closed the door after all four of them were out, "If Fen decides to shit in your place, that's on you."

"It'll be nothing new in there." She said, hitting the wall twice, before stepping back, "So, those hunters are strong in the fight, but weak in numbers."

A ladder slid down, leading to the top of the building, "If you really did take out ol' Kinsley, that means that they just went from six to five. Still more than us, but they're still only human. That's our advantage."

She climbed up, leaving the other three to do the same, stretching when she got to the top, "Now, they like to have patrols. At this time of day, I'm sure that Avery and Brooke are still looking around the market and whatnot."

"If they're out here, there is no way that those two other rookies will be able to stop us." She said, before stopping for a bit, "...Unless today is a Tuesday. Let's hope today isn't a Tuesday."

"What happens on Tuesday?" Violet asked, following Jade as she hopped from rooftop to rooftop, heading for the castle. She yelped, nearly falling off, only to have Corvus grab her by the sleeve, "Hehe, whoops."

"Do be careful." Corvus sighed, shaking his head as he helped dust her off.

"Tuesday, they like to switch it up a bit, but I think we'll be fine." Jade said with a grin, shrugging her shoulders.

"Wait," Hope muttered, counting on her fingers, "including the dead one, that's only five. I thought there were six."

"Oh, yeah, there's one more you gotta look out for." Jade said, making a finger gun, "Blythe Lee Denholm. Leader of the Denholm group."

"So, she's a problem?" Corvus inquired.

"You have no idea." Jade snickered, shaking her head as she walked on, "Thankfully, she doesn't like to leave her throne, so we should be fine."

They continued on, Jade leading the way from rooftop to rooftop, some taking longer than others.

"Anything else we should be worried about?" Hope asked from the back, being the one who had the most trouble maneuvering.

"Nah, nothing much." Jade insisted with a shark-like grin, her hair flying about and yet still somehow keeping its shape, "We've got a sound plan; no way they'll ever see us coming!"

* * *

From within the castle, two figures entered the large room, a throne room of sorts. Inside, a girl sat down on the large cushioned chair in the back of the room, a grand fireplace blazing behind her.

"You two are back early." She murmured softly, chin placed down upon intertwined fingers.

"Don't get all high and mighty with us, Blythe." One of them hissed, pulling the hood off, only to reveal a masked face, features drawn in red, "We are here to warn you and your guests, after all."

"Fine, Avery, what is it then?" Blythe asked, rolling her neck. Her soulless grey eyes bore into the mask, half her head shaved, the other side having long brown hair cascading down her shoulder.

The other spoke up, removing her hood as well, "We have two more demons, they entered Penketh today."

"I don't see how that's a problem for us." Blythe sighed, tugging at the sleeve of her robe, almost bored, "If anything, they'll make for good sacrifices for the Tenebris twins. We still have to make up for last week, or have you two already forgotten?"

"Watch where you step, princess." Brooke hissed from behind the mask, "You're only so strong on your own."

"Last I checked, the two eldest Denholm kids aren't running this place because they didn't win over the family right." Blythe murmured, before shrugging, "I assumed that you wanted a warning."

"They met up with the shifter." Avery murmured, fiddling with the bottom of her coat.

"Jade Wilkinson." Blythe scowled, slowly getting up, "That could be a problem. Anything we have on them?"

"They seem to enjoy parading around with a little girl." Avery murmured.

"A human?" Blythe asked.

"Yes." Brooke assured, "They may be on their way here, right now."

Blythe sighed, walking over to the fireplace, locking eyes with the person who'd been standing there silently for the whole time, "You heard them, Greyson; go and get your Sutton friend and be ready."

From the back, Edward Greyson only laughed, "A little girl following around three demons? Damn, she sounds like her father's daughter. Don't worry, I'm sure that your hunters can take care of them, but if not, I could always call up the Tenebris-."

"No." Blythe shook her head, "We owe them too much, we can't ask for favors now. We still need to give them the late payments. We have to deal with this on our own, and when we succeed, we will be able to pay for our contribution to the grail."

Greyson laughed, shaking his head, "Well, while you go on and do that, I'll go grab Sutton. We'll head down and bunker down the library, I'm assuming that this castle is about to become a battlefield of sorts."

"More so a slaughterhouse." Blythe smirked, shaking her head as she sat back down, "I have a little bit of a bone to pick with those guys."

"Finally, something to look forward too. I have some stress and anger to work out; and it doesn't help when my dead little brother was dropped by the doorstep earlier today."


	8. His Fair Lady, Surrounded by Pretty Lies

**Hi hi!**

 **So, here on in, a lot of chapters are going to take a little while longer. School is tough, but life is tougher, you know?**

 **Hopefully, I'll be able to come back at writing with a full swing, but for now, updates will kinda be scattered and all over the place.**

 **But, enough with that, let us move it on!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The moment they went stopped before the castle, Violet couldn't help but feel small.

Even while standing on a roof, she still felt the castle tower over and above them, "So…How do we plan to get in?"

"Sneakily and quietly." Jade murmured, pulling a sort of gun-like object from one of her belts. She shot it up, tugging the line twice after it hit, before pulling the trigger again. With that, she zipped off, flying towards one of the many roofs of the castle.

"Not all of us can do that!" Violet shouted, unsure if Jade could hear from the top. The castle looked like a whole collection of tall gothic towers, all built to look like whoever built this was attempting to stab the heavens with the spirals at the top of each tower. Within the center seemed to be a home base of sorts, a wide castle-like building with a slightly dome-shaped roof.

Violet yelped when she was suddenly picked up bridal style, giving Corvus an odd look, before realization struck, "You're not actually gonna attempt to-."

She was cut off when she suddenly felt them both go up into the air, Violet shouting anything that came to mind as she gripped onto whatever her hands could grab. Which made it all the more funny when one hand grabbed Corvus' hair and the other his jacket.

"JESUS CHRIST, WHY!?" Violet sobbed, pressing her forehead into his jacket as to not feel too sick. It also helped that, if she were to throw up, it would be all over him.

"Ah, just like old times, yes?" Corvus sighed, sounding near nostalgic, before finally coming to the top, landing right next to Jade, who had just finished pulling herself up.

"Nice legs, your highness." Jade jeered, "Extra style points for getting a handful of ass in that hold."

"You are vile." Corvus muttered, setting Violet down.

"Aren't we all?" Jade grinned, shrugging before turning to Violet, "You still got that bow?"

"Yep." Violet muttered, pulling it out, before looking around, "Hey, where's Hope?"

"Right here!" Hope said, her voice sounding as if it were still over the side.

All three of them looked over, watching as Hope hulled herself up onto the roof next to them, "Sorry I took so long, the ladder was ridiculously rusty."

"Wait, there was a ladder?" Violet said, before punching Corvus in the shoulder, "What the hell!?"

"In my defense, I didn't think that you wanted to take such a long time." Corvus said, his smirk doing little to nothing when it came to his defense, "Also, I'm told that tetanus can kill."

Violet kicked him in the shin, cursing when he didn't even twitch, before facing Jade, "What now?"

"Follow me." Jade murmured, running to the other side of the roof, before jumping off.

"Hope she got impaled." Hope muttered, looking over the side, only to curse silently, "Wistful thinking."

"I can still hear you, ya know." Jade shouted from her rooftop. Corvus jumped down first, holding his hands up and open, ready to catch Violet.

"Let me fall and I haunt you in the afterlife." Violet grumbled, squeezing her eyes shut before going through with the trust fall.

She let out a squeak, falling right into Corvus' arms, "As if I'd allow you to fall, my lady."

"Stop it with the gross lovey dovey shit already." Jade said, making a face as Hope jumped down, nearly slipping off the roof, "It's disgusting. On a side note, here's our way in."

Jade brushed some dirt and dust off the roof with her boot, revealing a small latch. She got down on one knee, prying it open, before jumping down.

"You know, I'm starting to think that fighting our way through the front door would have been a heck of a lot easier." Violet muttered, looking down into the hatch, before jumping down herself.

The moment her feet touched the ground, the castle interior changed. She swore that the castle seemed to be illuminated by something red, the walls were made of a dark obsidian, with red tapestries lining the hallways.

Something didn't feel right. All of whatever she was seeing, it was like it was from some distant nightmare, something she'd seen in her head from a long time ago.

She only snapped out of it when Corvus landed behind her, the sound of his shoes seemingly chasing away the vision, "My lady, are you well?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah." Violet muttered, pulling an arrow out of her bag, pulling it back, "I really do hope that I don't run into the same problem I did with Jade over here."

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it," Jade insisted, Hope jumping in after them, the latch to the roof closing after her soon later, "But, when it comes to pointers from earlier, I'd advise you pull the string back all the way."

"All the way, got it." Violet muttered, pulling the arrow back all the way, only to yelp when the string flew from between her fingers, the arrow becoming embedded into the floor, "Whoops."

"...Additional note," Jade sighed, looking around to make sure that no one was around, before walking down the hallway, "Make sure that you have a good grip on that string."

"I'll keep that in mind as well." Violet muttered, the three of them following Jade around.

* * *

Jade was right, the whole place was a maze.

Each turn lead to a corridor that looked exactly the same to the one that they already were in, "You sure we didn't already turn this corner? I could have sworn I've seen this carpet already." Violet muttered.

"It's the same carpet all over this place." Jade muttered.

"Yeah, well, doesn't mean that I haven't seen it already."

"We're getting close, I'm sure of it." Jade said, before holding a finger over her mouth, "Now shush, we need to be quiet."

Violet nodded, putting her mind to it. Yes, she was going to do her damn best to be as quiet as possible. Hell, ninjas would be jealous of her immense skill in the art of the silent attack.

Of course, that was the perfect moment for her to turn around, right into a lone stand. Of course, that stand was holding a vase, and of course the vase falls right over, shattering on the ground.

"Oh, come the fuck on!" Violet shouted, shrugging when Jade gave her a look, "What? You can't tell me that someone isn't trying to screw me over! A random vase in an empty hallway? The hell's up with that!?"

Hope dashed over, covering Violet's mouth as she did so. All the while, Corvus looked around, eyes narrowed, "...My lady, I ask that you stay with them. There is another danger afoot."

"Wait, what- Hey! Corvus!" Violet shouted, albeit muffled. Either way, it was all for nothing, since once second Corvus is standing there, and the next, she vanishes completely.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Crow Prince." Jade spat, before throwing her head to the side, cursing as she attempted to get Violet and Hope to move down a different corridor, "Come on, this way! Crap, they know we're here."

"Before you start blaming me, do realize that I'm not the one that decided to fall and shatter all over the floor." Violet spat, the two others each grabbing an arm, dragging Violet between them.

"Yeah, well, you were the one to push it over." Jade sneered.

"That was all gravity."

Before anything else could be said, Jade came to a sudden stop, pulling Violet (and Hope in return) into the wall, pulling them into the hallway indent.

Before either could ask, two hooded figures walked by, looking as if they were in a hurry.

Once they left, Jade let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, it's just Colten and Haleigh."

"Wow, you know them by name?" Hope murmured, her voice holding just a hint of skepticism.

"When you've been stuck in this damn town for as long as I have, you begin to pick up names and faces real quick if you wanna live." Jade muttered.

They came to a sudden stop, Jade looking as if she were waiting to be shot, before pushing a door open, "Hurry it up, in here." Without another word, she shoved them both in, closing the door behind them.

"Alright, let me think…" She murmured, pacing around the small room as she did so, "If Colten and Haleigh are going out, then that must mean that the other three are either still here, or it's only Blythe."

"After all that in the hallway, I'm sure that they know we're here," Hope added on, "So there goes out element of surprise."

"So, for all we know, Greyson could already be gone." Violet finished, before going over to punch the wall. Of course, it hurt her more than the wall, "Fuck!"

"Maybe we could have kept safe if someone hadn't decided to push a vase over and break it!" Jade offered, her tone lacking any real accusation, but her smile said it all.

"I'm telling ya, that thing just moved to my side! It was begging to be broken!"

"And you gave it it's wish. Wow, what kind of sadistic person are you? Bet if I asked you to kill me, you'd go through with it."

"Getting mad won't solve anything." Hope intervened, giving them both a look, before turning to Jade, "Where do we go from here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Jade muttered, before throwing her fist into a bookshelf, "Fuck, thanks for nothing, bird brain!"

"Can't you just order him back?" Hope asked, giving the ring on her finger a skeptical look, "I mean, you have his sign on you, right?"

"He said our contract was in the ring." Violet murmured, twisting the ruby rings around her finger, "But I can't."

Jade snickered, "Some servant."

"No, I think I understand why." Hope murmured, before cursing lightly to herself, "Damn, it could be him."

Before Violet could ask, Jade threw a hand over Violet's mouth, placing a finger over her own while giving both her and Hope a look.

For a few seconds, Violet swore that she heard nothing, only to nearly jump when footsteps walked by.

They were heavy, almost demanding in a way, as they strolled on by. Normally, you couldn't tell a lot about a person from their footsteps, but Violet could practically feel the power and control that resonated from whoever was walking on behind the door.

A cold sweat went down Violet's back when the footsteps stopped right in front of the door. Jade gave the two a look, before jumping off to the side, disappearing into the bookshelves.

"Jade!" Hope hissed softly, Violet only given enough time to pull Hope out of the line of sight as the door began to open.

Without looking back, Violet dashed down into the rows of bookshelves. It was only now that she realized how much bigger this place was than she had first thought.

Violet stopped in a random row, making sure that they're footsteps were as quiet as humanly possible, "Keep it down." Violet insisted, before looking around.

She could hear footsteps coming up from the left, cursing lightly before pushing Hope along. She wasn't sure who it was who had opened the door, but one thing's for sure.

Whoever it was, it knew they were there.

"Where did Jade go?" Hope whispered when Violet finally stopped.

"I don't know." Violet muttered, looking around to make sure no one had followed them, "It's kinda dim in here, hard to see."

Hope cursed, "What if she just left us here?"

"What? No way." Violet insisted, stepping back. Of course, her being her, she walked right back into the bookshelf, quickly reaching up to push the books in before they could drop on her, "We made a deal or something, right?"

"Demons are great at finding loopholes." Hope stated in a sort of "as a matter of fact" tone, looking like she was about to go on when a new voice spoke.

"I know you're out there."

The voice was female, and way too haunting to be normal. Her voice reminded Violet of how an organ sounded; pretty in a sort of ethereal and almost creepy way.

"Don't keep trying to run; you'll just waste all of our time."

"You go that way," Violet whispered, pushing Hope forward before turning around to grab a book, "I'll lure her this way."

Violet didn't give Hope any time to object, before dashing off in the other direction, "Well, it's not like I've got anything better to do today! I love hide and seek!" Violet shouted, dashing in and out of rows of bookshelves.

The voice laughed, much to Violet's discomfort. Looking around, he grabbed the nearest blunt object; a book. Honestly, it wasn't like the bow and arrows would do her much good in a dim place with no open space, and that's assuming that she could shoot, "You can't hide forever."

"Don't plan to!" Violet shouted right back, waiting for a few seconds before sprinting to the left. If she remembered the lay out and she was going the right way, there was a huge chance that she could get back to the door.

"Give yourself up right now, and I'll take pity on you. I'll make your end a quick one."

As creepy as her voice sounded, at least Violet could keep track of wherever this chick was, "But where's the fun in that?"

"Oh, finally, a point we can both agree to."

That voice was coming from right behind her.

On instinct, Violet jumped back, her hands up and ready to block, only to be grabbed and twisted.

Violet was forced down to one knee from there, looking up into heartless grey eyes. Everything else was hidden, covered by the hood of her cloak, the dark red and black hiding any sort of hints as to what she might be able to do or what she had up her sleeves.

The girl couldn't help but snicker, "Your anxious expression is pitifully amusing."

"Well, at least I can have facial expressions." Violet spat right back, attempting to rip her arm away, only to have this lady bend her wrist back, throwing her arm up and around, pinning her to the ground with her knee.

"You don't seem too smart either." She muttered, sighing as she shook her head, "Maybe you won't make such a sterling sacrifice after all."

"What the hell is that suppose the mean!?" Violet scowled, unable to do much besides flail her head around, hoping that she could try to throw her off. Of course, being how her arm was locked behind her back and how a shoe was pressed against her back, she could honestly only do so much.

"Huh, I'll have to speak with the Tenebris when I get the chance." She murmured, rolling Violet over onto her back. She was forced to look back up into those heartless grey eyes, the hood having had fallen off, revealing a half shaven head, the other end covered in dark brown curly hair.

In one last attempt to get out, Violet did her best to spit in her face. Of course, being how she was attempting to spit with enough force to hit this girl in her face while standing fully straight up, as well as fighting gravity, all Violet got was a face full of her own spit.

How fucking fabulous.

She could see the girl shaking her head, sighing into her open palm, "Insolent child." She sighed, "Maybe Greyson was lying when he said you'd be worthy of the Holy Grail."

Before Violet could ask, the girl brought the full force of her fist into the bottom of her jaw, knocking her out on impact.

* * *

"I thought you'd find me up here."

Corvus' eyes narrowed, staring at the demon before him. They both stood at the top of a tower, the wind whistling past them without a care in the world.

He hoped he'd never have to see his face again but hoping for such a thing with Kuro so close was almost too much of a far-off dream, "...Aranea."

"Corvus." The spider demon replied, making no effort to face the other.

"Why are you here?" Corvus hissed, cutting right to the chase. He was so close, too close. There was no way that he'd allow it all to fall apart now.

"Breathing it all in." Aranea replied, inhaling deeply before finally turning around, golden eyes just as cold and cruel as ever, "I understand now, why so many of our kind would smuggle themselves up here. The aroma is irresistible. Especially when it's a scent you've been searching for for decades."

"You will not touch her." Corvus said, a light scowl gracing his expression, "I should have done more to protect her from you in the beginning."

"Ah, yes, to think that a fight over dominance and property would have evolved into this." Aranea said, almost laughing with the sinister smile on his face, "To think such an affection could blossom from you wanting to tell me off."

"Not that you'd understand." Corvus shot right back, before cracking his knuckles, "Proper affection and treatment is not something you're accustomed to now, is it?"

At that action, Aranea smiled, that same cruel and inhuman expression on his face, "Ah, that's how you plan to resolve this issue?"

"You will not hurt her again." Corvus pressed.

"Last I checked, I wasn't the one who ordered the execution of all her friends." Aranea said with a light snicker, laughing when Corvus' expression hardened, "Ah, did I strike a nerve? Perhaps I was able to break through that same wall that she managed to? Looks like you did a lousy job patching it all back up."

Instead of speaking, Aranea's head flew back, the imprint of Corvus' fist in his lower jaw as he stumbled, almost falling off of the roof.

"NEVER speak of that again." Corvus said, his voice low and measured.

All Aranea did was laugh, shaking his head as he slowly got back up, rubbing his chin, "You're as strong as ever. Of course, you were always the one with more physical talent."

"And you were the one trying to twist dirty little lies into fantasies." Corvus scowled right back, catching Aranea's wrist. They were face to face, Aranea smiling almost wildly, Corvus' expression holding nothing but pure focus, "This time, pretty words won't save you. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

 **And that's the end of that!**

 **Hope you guys enjoy, feel free to drop a review, and I'll cya next chappie!**

 **Till next time, bai** **bai!**


	9. His Fair Lady, Remembering

**Hi hi!**

 **Jeez, how long has it been? Too long, I'm sure.**

 **But, before I forget, I have a bit of sad news. My laptop is not the best, so I'll basically be getting a new one. Problem is that the one I'm going to get is a hand-me-down of sorts, and I won't have it till August. So, honestly, I have no idea when I'll have another chapter up and ready, but I do promise you guys that I will finish this story. Mark my words, I'm not leaving this one to die.**

 **Anyway, with that said, let's get on with it!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

When Violet woke up, she found herself suspended, torso chained up and wrists holding her to the wall.

"Finally, the sacrifice is awake."

All Violet could manage was a nose twitch, before glaring up to the captor. She seemed to be in some sort of lounge, with a fireplace behind a nice big chair. The girl from earlier sat in it, her grey soulless eyes and half-shaved head making her look all the more cultish.

Violet took in the long dark blue robe, a bit jealous of how comfortable it looked. Through the opening, she could see that she wore a sort of tight jumpsuit with a belt holding all kinds of weird tools.

"You have a special bag here," She went on, before dropping Violet's messenger bag to the floor, "Made of demon skin, with unlimited storage. Too bad only the holder and demons can get into it."

When Violet didn't speak, she rose from her chair, clearing her throat, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blythe Lee Denholm, the third born of John and Janette Denholm."

Violet mumbled something, causing Blythe to take a step closer, head cocked to the side, "I'm sorry, I don't think that I quite heard you. Please, speak up."

"I said, and I quote, 'I don't recall asking for your life story'." Violet spat, doing her best to be as annoying as possible at this point.

"Careful," Blythe murmured, dusting spit off of her shoulder, her expression never changing, "The last time you tried to spit on me, it did not end up well for you."

"Well, in my defense, I've never really thought anything out before." Violet admitted, shrugging as best she could.

"Noted." Blythe sighed, grabbing Violet by the chin, "Well, Greyson wasn't wrong, you've got the look." Blythe murmured, her grip growing when Violet attempted to bite at her fingers, "Now now, don't go and degrade yourself from infant to animal."

"Call me whatever you want, I'm not going down without a fight." Violet growled, glaring the taller girl down as best she could.

"Ah, you've got that fire as well." Blythe said, murmuring to herself as she continued to inspect Violet, ignoring anything that came from her mouth, "Something else Greyson was able to get right. Maybe he wasn't as useless as I originally thought."

"God, you still talking about Edward Greyson?" Violet asked, doing her best to roll her neck from where she was hung up, "Cause, if so, I'd really appreciate it if you'd be able to point me in the right direction."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Blythe murmured, still looking Violet over like a piece of meat, "What I can do, however, is clear up what he said. You're an entity."

"Entity?" Violet muttered, giving her an odd look.

"You're not quite human, that's for sure." Blythe murmured, before grabbing Violet's shirt, bringing it closer for her to smell, "Hmm, there it is. You smell of a demon, but there is something else there."

"Well, I do hang around a few of them." Violet muttered, shrugging.

"No, you're mistaken." Blythe said, shaking her head, before tapping her nose, "Do you know why I became the head of the family?"

"No one else wanted the position?" Violet deadpanned.

"Out of everyone in my family," Blythe went on, giving Violet a light of slight smugness, "From every generation alive before the divide, I was the only one born with the ability to sense demons. You and all your friends, that man and girl you travel with, even that little piece of scum that manages to sneak in and out of my radar; they're all demons. And, to some degree, so are you."

"...Huh?" Violet muttered, still processing what Blythe had said, "So, you mean...Wow, Hope too? Huh...I…I have a lot to think over…"

"You focus on the wrong aspects." Blythe sighed, shaking her head, before a knock came to the door, "Yes?"

The door was pushed open slightly, "Blythe, those two powerful demons you felt; they've arrived."

"Good, just as planned," Blythe sighed, rolling her neck, "Take care of them for me. The sooner we take care of this, the sooner we will be ready for Tenebris."

Both nodded, before closing the door, "I apologize for that, my family has the worst timing sometimes." Blythe sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, "Not that you could ever understand the importance of them. After all, Kinsley was your handy work, right?"

Violet couldn't help but grin, "Yeah, and so what if it was?"

"You could never understand how a family works," Blythe said, before turning to the fireplace, "You don't understand how it feels to have someone close to you, a blood relative, when you've already lost so much."

"Don't make me try to empathize with you." Violet said, before shrugging, "He tried to draw on us, we took him out before he could do the same to us. It's that black and white."

"I'm not going to attempt to make you see things my way," Blythe scoffed, giving Violet a look over her shoulder, "How can you force a monster to look through the eyes of a human?"

"I don't know, you tell me Ms. 'Oh, I can smell demons'."

"Well, I'm not the one who smells of an entity." Blythe shot right back, "You're not human, you're not a demon, and yet you are. You're an unsolved puzzle, one that'll never allow you to know what or who you are. In the end of it all, at least I know what I am. What does that make you?"

Violet had no real witty remark to come back with after that.

"Finally, silence." Blythe murmured, seeming fairly very pleased with how Violet had gone silent, only to stiffen for a moment. She sighed, looking at the door for a moment, before walking on, "You'll have to excuse me for now, Ms. De Angelus, I can sense the irritating one growing close."

With that, Blythe opened the door, Violet squinting at the sudden invasion of light, before it closed behind her, leaving Violet in the room a lit with nothing but the fire in the fireplace.

Violet was just hanging there, alone with nothing but her thoughts.

"This place is getting darker and darker with each passing moment."

* * *

Corvus stalked over to the fallen demon, his fist shaking just a bit. It felt good, too good, to be able to go through with this. All that pent-up rage, all of that anger and fury, dealt out blow after blow.

Aranea was right, Corvus was stronger than he'd ever be. That's how it was then, and that was how it still seemed now.

"You know, for you to come out and challenge me, I was expecting something new." Corvus scowled, before kicking Aranea's body to the side, looking almost bored, "You come here to vex me, to push my buttons to my limit. On top of that, you decide to revive old pains from the past. You plan to get me that angry, but when push comes to shove, you roll over easily. What a waste."

Aranea looked like he wanted to say something, only to cough up some blood, "Oh, I beg a pardon? I can't seem to hear your silver tongue over all that blood you seem to be gurgling on."

Aranea scowled, giving Corvus a look as he slowly rose, wiping the blood away from his mouth, "Do you not sense it, you fool?"

"I feel nothing but pure pleasure when it comes to eradicating you."

"You really are the blind one of the two of us." Aranea groaned, one hand held over his injured arm, as he looked around. "There." He said, pointing to the top of another spiral, "You see them?"

At first, Corvus was sure that his brother was, once again, attempting to divert attention in an effort to win, but now that his bloodlust had settled a bit, he felt something...off. He gave Aranea a look before turning to see what he was pointing at, eyes landing on two cloaked figures.

"You feel it as well?" Corvus didn't give Aranea any response other than a light scowl, "That aura that they're giving off?"

"Your kind is not welcome here." One of the hooded figures shouted, this one unsheathing what looked to be a long sword, "We cannot allow you to escape, so you'll have to forgive us our quick introductions. Blythe has other things she'd like us to get on with."

Before Corvus could speak, he heard something whistle past his ear. He whipped his head to the side, glaring at the other hunter, who'd apparently found time to draw back their bow, another arrow already notched into place, "You dare to speak directly to us, mortal?" Aranea asked, a scowl on his face, "How utterly distasteful."

"Yes, just glance past the fact that they're shooting at us and want our heads." Corvus muttered to himself, watching as the first one slide down the spiral of the tower, landing a few feet before him, "Always so attentive to what matters."

Before Aranea could snip something back, the hunter took a wide swing at Corvus with their sword, forcing him back. There was something off about the weapon. It wasn't shards, that's for sure. No way it could have made it to the surface. But something about the weapon just didn't feel right.

"Keep your distance, Avery!" The one with the bow shouted, drawing back another arrow.

"Don't tell me what to do, Brooke." The other, Avery, hissed, before whipping around, managing to slice through the coat Aranea wore.

"How dare you!" The spider demon spat, lunging for the hooded girl, only to grab at air when she jumped back, allowing for the opening the archer was looking for.

Aranea howled in pain, the shaft of an arrow lodged into his forehead, the force nearly causing him to fall over. He growled, anger behind his glasses before ripping the arrow out, hand dripping with his own blood.

"Blythe was right," They heard Brooke shout, notching another arrow back, "These two feel...off."

"Whatever." Avery muttered, drawing back before Aranea could grab her, "This one looks weak, as if it has too much to deal with as is. It'll be a quick battle."

"Don't be so quick to cut me out." Corvus countered.

The hunter sneered, long sword at the ready, "Give me a reason."

Corvus ducked under her wide swing, before bringing his knee up right to her skin, the force enough to knock her back, hood going flying.

Corvus glared her down as Avery attempted to get back up, a murderous look in her eyes as she rose back up.

Aranea scowled, covering half his face with his bloodied hand, the other holding his arm, "How pathetic." He sneered, spitting blood out.

"I would evaluate my own standing before moving on to say such things." Corvus chided, rolling his shoulders as the hunter advanced once more. He took in the dark circles around her eyes, and how her own cloak seemed to bear an odd amount of weight upon her, "As weak as Aranea may be, you seem to have forgotten simple facts."

"Such as?" She spat out, rolling her wrist before swapping sword hand.

"Last I checked, you're two mortals fighting two beings of hell." Corvus growled, eyes glowing before the air began to grow cold, "You plan to derail me from a previous dispute, berate me and my title, and now you assume yourself above me?"

Corvus slowly advanced, stopping for only a moment, bringing his hand up to catch the arrow aimed at him, snapping it between his fingers.

Aranea's eyes widened, backing off slowly. He'd only seen this once, and the last time this sort of uncontrolled rage was unleashed on him...No, he shook his head. Now would be a good time to escape, reevaluate and replan. With Corvus' attention diverted, as well as the two hunters, Aranea jumped off the roof, quickly vanishing from view.

All the while, the archer notched another arrow, hands quivering just a bit. The other hunter gulped, grip tightening on her sword, before a sneer finally fought its way back to her face, "So, you're a higher grade than we first assumed, whatever. What good will that do to you?"

Corvus snickered lightly, flexing his fingers through his gloves, as the rolls of black heavy smoke rolled off his shoulders, "Well, for starters, you should watch the way you speak to a prince of hell."

"A prince!?" The archer cried out, before notching another arrow back.

Meanwhile, the other hunter straightened up, holding her sword up and held high. Corvus laughed, he could smell the fear rolling off of her, and he rejoiced in it, "He could be Satan himself for all I care, a demon is a demon! Our family is skilled and trained to destroy the likes of them!"

"Oh, a girl who thinks herself to be more than she is," Corvus muttered, shaking his head, "Trust me, I have some skill and experience with girls like you. Unfortunately, I do not find you attractive is any shape, way, or form; so, I do ask that you beg a pardon when it comes to my short temper with you."

* * *

Blythe sighed, tugging at her hood as she looked around. This is the one that had been giving them trouble for a while now, and to think that she decides to come out now, "Quit trying to hide, you filthy thing. Show yourself."

Blythe's head flicked to the side, a hand placed over her belt, ready to grab whatever was needed.

She neared the corner, just about ready to pull the knife, only to be confronted by another hunter, "Oh, Haleigh, what are you doing up here?"

Her little sister giggled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head, "Colten and I just got back from the Tenebris pick up point; Sutton is there and we're ready to move Greyson on your command."

"At least something is going right." Blythe muttered, shaking her head, before giving Haleigh an affirmative nod, "Good job."

Haleigh hummed in agreement, looking rather pleased with herself, "Do you want Colten and I to go up and help Avery and Brooke? The sooner they clear out that demon, the sooner we can have Greyson moved."

"No, I don't want you or Colten to worry about it, okay?" Blythe sighed, rubbing her forehead, "That demon isn't normal, something about him feels...Off. They'll take care of it. I want you and Colten on standby, ready to move Greyson on my word."

"But if there's a problem, don't you want all hands available to help?" Haleigh asked, eyes wide.

"No, you two aren't ready." Blythe said sternly, both her voice and tone nothing short of final, "Let the three of us take care of this."

"Okay..." Haleigh murmured, before offering a grin. With that, the much smaller hunter ran off, much to Blythe's approval. It's been hard on them all with Kinsley's death, and as the head of the household, it was Blythe's job to make sure that something like that never happened again.

Shaking her head, Blythe walked on, rubbing her forehead as she did so. The demons shouldn't be this much of a problem to take care of, honestly. And then, on top of that, they were tasked with the capture and delivery of demons to Tenebris.

Honestly, it was a lot more work than they should be able to complete, but at this point, the Denholm family were out of other options.

Blythe turned another corner, the feeling slowly growing stronger. Even then, she was still on high alert, constantly making sure that all her sides were covered and watched. This particular demon has been troublesome, from shifting into other people to being able to get around quicker than Blythe liked; either way, it was a mess waiting to happen.

With another groan, she made a mental note that the Tenebris would be sending a representative later on, to check on their progress. Hopefully, if Avery and Brooke could take care of the demons on the roof, they'd have more than what they would require.

She didn't need a reminder of what would happen if they didn't meet their deadline again.

"Hello there."

Blythe turned to the almost timid voice, sizing this new demon up, "...I thought I was on the hunt for the other one, the shapeshifter."

"Well, life is full of disappointments, isn't it?" the demon laughed lightly to herself, shrugging as she did so.

All the while, Blythe kept her eyes narrowed. She hadn't met this one yet, must have come into town with the Entity, "If you're trying to get my guard down, you'll find it harder than you think." Blythe muttered, drawing the sword from her belt.

She sighed, rolling her shoulders, "I don't want to fight you, trust me, I really don't. But, this was the best option that Jade and I came up with, so I suppose that it's something that'll have to work out for now."

If Blythe couldn't sense demons, she never would have assumed this girl to be one of them. She looked too nice, which could have ended up being the most deceptive thing that these creatures of hell could do.

Blythe lashed out, her sword nearly embedding itself into the stone wall when the demon jumped back, the tip of the blade missing by a hair, "Not the most agile, are you?" Blythe couldn't help but taunt.

The demon didn't respond, seeming to concentrate on not being hit by the blade rather than what Blythe had to say. That was probably for the best, being how the metal was infused with holy water and pure white silver.

"Never in my life have I met a demon so unwilling to fight." Blythe droned on, watching as the demon backed up, hands up as if they could help her block the blade, "Your vile sort is known for clawing and grabbing at anything that could get them out of unsavory conditions."

Blythe lashed out with a flurry of swings, each one closer than the last, but still a bit off. Each time, the demon jumped back, allowing the blade to pass by, almost too close each time with each step she backed up.

Blythe swung the sword up, her expression holding just a bit of satisfaction when the demon cried out, holding the fresh gash right under her right eye, "Yeah, hurts doesn't it?"

"Holy water doesn't act to kindly against a demon." Blythe went on, swinging her sword around like a cane as she slowly advanced, "Had I poured it on you, the liquid would slowly but surely eat away at the skin of your face, slowly dissolving away at whatever it comes in contact with-."

Blythe's guard was down.

With her attention diverted, Hope pushed herself up, kicking her in the chest. Blythe, taken by surprise, dropped the sword as she fell, the demon kicking it away.

One hand helped to push Hope up, the other still held over her right eye, "...I don't want to do this." Hope finally uttered, keeping Blythe down by stepping down on the hunter's chest, "Don't make me."

Blythe only glared up at her, her jaw dead-set and locked.

Before Hope could say anything else, Blythe's hand and arm flicked upwards, a small knife flying out of her sleeve. Hope ducked out of the way, pushing more of her weight down on the hunter when she attempted to push her off, "...Fine."

With that, Hope took both hands, forcing her cold fingers onto Blythe's forehead. The hunter went from struggling fiercely to stiffening up, her eyes rolling back as her body twitched, her mind going blank.

* * *

The silence was deafening to Violet.

The only thing that Violet had to keep her company in the dimly lit room were her thoughts, each voice going on faster and crazier than the last.

She was hung up on what Blythe had said. Was it possible for a human to hang around demons long enough to become one? Maybe, after a while, she would end up "smelling" like one.

But what was this about a glow? What kind of person was able to glow?

It was all just a huge mess in her head honestly, and with each passing second, she heard nothing but the multitude of voices fighting for her attention in her head.

She almost missed it when the door was pushed open, "Yo, you in here?"

"Hey." Violet replied, her voice sounding just a tiny bit softer than normal, "I'd wave, but I'm a little strung up at the moment."

Jade looked around, making sure no one else was in the room, before walking in, "I'll get you down, don't worry."

"Much thanks." Violet sighed, resting her head back as Jade began to work on the chains. Something in her head was missing, that much she was surely aware of. But now her mind was searching for the right answers. Was something stolen? Taken? Lost?

She's had moments of forgetfulness before, she forgot the small stuff all the time, but it felt like something big, something she shouldn't be able to forget.

"...Still on the roof, fighting those two other Hunters." Violet had apparently tuned Jade out while she was stuck in her own head, "I felt the presence of another demon, a strong one at that, but he seems to have left the fight."

"Huh." Was all Violet could manage, before the chains were released. Just before she reached the ground, her head erupted into white-hot pain, enough for her to double over, nearly face planting had it not been for Jade, who caught her.

"Hey, are you okay!?" Jade exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, just...Give me a moment." Violet groaned, holding her head as she slowly got up, a contorted look on her face as the headache slowly subsided, "Alright, I'm good." She muttered, walking past the chair, picking up her bag as she did so, "Do we know where Greyson is right now?"

"No clue, but being how there was no warning given, I'm sure he's still somewhere around here."

"He'd better be." Violet muttered, pushing herself along the wall once she got out and into the hallway, "You know this castle decently well, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Lead me to a good vantage point." Violet muttered, the front of her head still throbbing just a bit, "If he's trying to run, I need a place where I can see it."

"I've got a good idea of where we can go." Jade said, before dashing off, "Come on, follow me."

Jade led Violet around the corner, down the hall, and finally up a set of stairs, "Go through there, you'll find a sort of balcony."

"Good, thank you." Violet muttered, "Will you be joining me?"

"Sorry, but nah, this is where I have to go off." Jade said, giving a wide grin, "There's something I left behind the last time I was in here; I'd like to finish the job I started. But, before I go, can I offer you a bit of advice?"

"Sure."

"I suggest that you get out of this castle before high noon." Jade said, a mischievous grin on her face, "I'd recommend hiding out at my place; I can meet up with you guys and we go from there?"

"Yeah...Yeah, okay." Violet muttered, and with that, Jade dashed off, "And I thought I was the vague one." Violet muttered, before heading up the stairs.

At the very top, she pushed the door open, covering her face as a strong gust of wind blew by, her hair going wild. She stood on a small platform, barely big enough to really be called a balcony.

She stared off, able to see the entire town from this view. She could have gotten lost in thought up there, so high above the world looking down, had it not been for the fighting going on not too far from her.

Looking to the left, her eyes went wide, "Holy shit." She muttered, half her mind working to find her bow from within her bag.

From where she was, she could see what looked to be a swirl of black smoke, maybe flames. She could see a hunter down there, attempting to fight something in the middle of that cyclone. If she squinted, she could make out the ends of a tailcoat here and there, as well as what seemed to be two angry-red orbs.

Before anything else could happen, she took note of another platform not too far from her own, another archer standing there, drawing back another arrow carefully.

Before he could let go, Violet strung up her own arrow, pulling the drawstring back completely as she did her best to aim, before letting go.

The other archer let out a shout of pain, the arrow not quite hitting the target of the archer's chest, but it did manage to become stuck somewhere in the side of their midsection.

Violet didn't have any time to celebrate, however, as the pain quickly turned to anger, prompting the archer to draw back another arrow, this time aiming for her.

Violet gulped, looking around. There really wasn't much for her to hide behind on her tiny platform. To make matters worse, the door had clicked shut behind her, locked.

"Haleigh, take Greyson now!" The archer shouted, about to let the arrow go.

Within a split second, Violet brought her bag up to cover her face, a good quick move considering the arrow head went right through, almost touching her nose. She spun around, drawing another arrow from her bag as she did so, before pulling it back. Hitting bodies seemed to be something she couldn't do, but shooting the ground looked about ten times easier. And so, she shot at the ground between the archer's feet. In an attempt to dodge it, the hunter jumped to the side, losing her footing as she did so. Violet didn't bother to watch as the hunter fell to her death, nor did she really hear when the hunter fighting scream out. Rather, her eyes were trained on the duo escaping the castle. Across the courtyard, exiting the gate on the other side of the castle, Violet could make out two figures, running away.

One was a hunter, but the other was, without a second doubt, Greyson.

Violet notched an arrow, pulling it back, only to realize how far they were. It was a miracle that she managed to land the hit between the archer's feet, a shot that far would be near impossible for someone like her.

In that second, Violet blinked, the castle replaced with an old looking town. Instead of standing on a small platform, she stood at the edge of a roof, overlooking the large yet barren area. A red sun bleared down on the whole place, bathing everything in a red tint. Greyson was nowhere to be seen, rather, it was someone else running away. From her rooftop, she looked down, watching her arms pull an arrow out of her quiver, pulling it back. Violet had no control of the actions, but she could hear her even breaths, feel the steady heartbeat, and once everything was lined up, Violet let go of the string.

And then, the vision was blinked away, instead she was left at the top of her platform, staring almost blankly at the ground. Instead of that unknown runner, she could see the feathered shaft of an arrow sticking out of the back of Greyson's head, said man lying face down in the dirt, dead.

The moment she realized what she'd done, the burning pain came back to her forehead, issuing a scream from her mouth as she fell to her knees. It felt as if something was trying to burst out of her head, fighting to break free from her mind almost.

Finally, the pain became too much, the world fading around her as she felt her knees growing weak. She felt weightless, watching through closing eyes as the sky got farther away, arms out reached to try to grab the clouds and pull herself back up, only for everything to go black.

* * *

Oblivious to everything that was going on outside, Jade snuck around the castle, seemingly turning over every stone, "Jeez, where did I set…Aha!" She said, cackling with glee when she found it. She walked into the room, following the almost-invisible cord, before coming up to the wall. Pressing her hands against the brick, she finally found a lose portion, quickly pulling it out.

Within the pocket in the wall, Jade couldn't help but be a bit pleased with how many Tickers she'd managed to shove in there, "Yep, I was right; more than enough for me to blow this castle sky high." She said with a grin, before putting the block back.

She opened a pocket on her belt, pulling out a reel of thin wires, a box of matches, and a fuse of sorts. With a grin, she rolled up her sleeves, "I hope the kid decided to take my advice."


	10. His Fair Lady, Escaping Penketh

**Jesus Christ on a stick, WHAT YEAR IS IT!?**

 **A lot has happened in the past, what, three months? Like, jeez, mid July was the worse for me, no joke.**

 **But hey, we live, make mistakes, learn and move on, right?**

 **Hopefully, I'll have more time to write and update, so that should be good! Also, don't worry, I don't plan to just let this story, or my other one, die any time soon. So, there's that, yay.**

 **Anywho, I'll just go ahead and get this thing going.**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

The only thing that managed to snap Corvus from his anger-ridden state was the sudden cold aura that washed over his body.

His head snapped to the side, staring straight up at where Violet stood.

There was something about her posture, normally she looked very stiff when she drew an arrow back, but in that moment, she looked relaxed, lazy almost.

She wore a nearly sickening grin on her face, and even if she was far, he could see dark purple irises from where he stood.

For a split second, he saw Lilim Kuro Akuhei, in all her insane, ludicrous glory.

But, before he could do much else besides stare in wonder and disbelief, he watched as her body seemed to shudder, and before he knew it, the wind seemed to push her off.

He had a brief moment of panic, watching Violet's seemingly lifeless body fall to the ground.

"Am I not worth your full attention, demon scum!?" the hunter behind him grumbled loudly, bringing her sword down quickly, but not fast enough for Corvus to miss it.

Without thinking twice, Corvus grabbed the weapon without looking, blade digging into his gloved hand as he ripped it away, not caring too much for the hunter attached to the weapon. He paid little to no heed to the hunter falling off of the side of the roof, quickly diving over the side, hands reaching out to grab Violet, pulling her head close, tucking her body against his own to absorb the impact.

He didn't give the crater he'd formed in the ground too much attention, his only concern being how Violet's breathing was too light, her face too pale.

He could have sworn she were dying.

For a moment, the air went from musky to humid, the smell one that he could only describe as the natural musk of an old castle. He was holding her body again, watching her slowly go up in smoke, as if she were nothing but a mirage to begin with.

He was roused from his thoughts when a hand came down on his shoulder. His black flames of anger nearly shot up again, daring this thing who dared to bother him to try once more, before she spoke, "Come on, Crow! We can't help her here, we need to leave. She did what she came here to do, now let's go!"

"Do not tell me what should be done of me, peasant." Corvus said with a light scowl, hefting Violet up as he rose, towering over Jade with his Lady safely held closely to his chest.

"Well, if that's the case, lemme warn ya." The shifter mumbled, looking around as she did so, "This place is gonna go up on flames soon, and since your little lady here is such a charmer, I'd like to do ya a solid and help get the both of you out of here."

The Corvus of the past would not have cared. No, he would have stood his ground, challenged those who did not agree with him and those who opposed him. He would have stopped at nothing to see both his enemies and his brother fall.

But, it was a mindset like that which had brought him to his lowest low once, and with Violet clutched tightly in his low grasp, it was a mistake he would not risk going back to.

"Lead the way out."

* * *

Hope scowled softly to herself, looking out the window. She couldn't help but feel...cowardly.

She'd done as Jade had asked, knowing that this was the best choice of action, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

The blaring pain under her eye had subsided to nothing but a dull string, but after looking it over in the mirror, she couldn't help but wince slightly. It really was…gruesome.

She scowled to herself, keeping one eye out the window. She was so dead set on watching the castle, she hadn't noticed Fen until he jumped up onto her lap, growling out the window, "Yeah, I'm growing a little more worried for them with each passing second as well."

Fen growled, making little biting motions towards the window, before turning to look up at Hope, eyes seeming to seek approval and affection.

Hope couldn't help but smile lightly, petting the little guy's head, "You seem to be a little needy for attention, huh?" Hope couldn't help but sigh.

Moments like these, she couldn't help but allow her mind to wander. She wondered how it would have been if Kuro had never left the castle in the first place. Heck, how would it have been had Kuro never stepped foot in that castle?

Of course, it was futile to think it over. She was in the present, the here and now. She had no doubt in her mind that this kid Crow had a contract with, even if there were a few new things added and some stuff missing, was Kuro.

She hadn't had time to really think over how it could have worked out. As far as she knew, demons had no soul. Thus, anything akin to resurrection was unheard of, let alone rebirth as a human.

But even then, even with all of the logic and facts pointing to no, she could still see what the Crow Prince was referring to. Violet seemed to be a more life-like version of Kuro, too human to be the real deal.

As soon as the thought came to mind, she shook it free from her head, scowling slightly. No, that didn't sound right either.

There had to be some sort of unknown factor, a type of third party. Besides, to say that Violet was without the tendencies of Kuro wasn't quite right either.

She could see it, that familiar fire within her eyes. Moments when the flares would rise from meer humor to contemplation, sometimes even leaking down to widen her mouth into a sickening smile.

A smile that only Kuro could make look like the most amused expression in the world.

No, there was Kuro in there, she just felt a little...Restrained?

Hope was brought back to reality when sharp teeth clamped down on her hands, "Ow, hey!" She hissed, pulling her hand away suddenly.

She hadn't even noticed that she'd been lightly tugging at the dog's ears for the past few minutes, her mind having been stolen away by restless thoughts.

Oh, how proud Kuro would be of her right now.

"I'm sorry about that." She murmured gently, rubbing the puppy's head, before leaning back into the chair, attempting to relax. Thinking too hard on it right now would do nothing but give her a headache, if she could just take some time to just recline and rest for a few minutes...

And rest she did. She had a full half-second of calm tranquil rest time, before jumping as the door was kicked down.

She nearly didn't have time to jump out of the way when Jade dashed past, giving her a bewildered look, "The hell do you think you're doing just standing there!? Get that couch ready, move your skinny ass, damnit!"

Fen jumped off her lap, seemingly more afraid of the screaming shifter than anything, as he went over to curl up in the farthest corner.

Hope opened her mouth to ask, only to close it and dash off when Corvus rushed in, nearly running her over as he did, "W-what happened!?" Hope finally managed, grabbing a few blankets to toss onto the couch before Corvus settled her down.

"That's something for the Crow to answer, I need to pack." Jade muttered, dashing out of the room as she did so, "The moment that Denholm Castle goes up, we need to hightail it out before the Tenebris take this place over."

"What? What the hell is going on here!?" Hope shouted, her only response being a door slamming shut, before turning to Corvus, "...If your answer is slamming a door in my face, royalty isn't gonna save you."

All he did was glare, before turning his attention back to Violet, "She just...dropped. She stood there, arrow notched, and then she just...I don't know how to explain it."

Hope groaned, holding her head, "Damnit, she's beginning to merge."

"Merge?"

"This is why I told you not to let her go through any sort of convergence!" Hope nearly shouted, her voice raising higher than it ever has before, "Do you not know...I mean...I just...Argh!" Hope scowled, holding her head.

Corvus was just stuck for a bit, almost staring off, before shaking his head, "You think I meant for that to happen? I-."

"Exactly, you!" Hope shouted, poking him in the chest, "It's always about you, isn't it, Prince Crow!? You, who has managed to destroy countless lives and walk over millions of other demons, all for your own sadistic amusement!"

"My brother was there on that rooftop." Corvus spat, eyes narrowed, "Tell me all you want that this is all about me. If it means I take the hard shots for her, contract or not, I will not hesitate."

Hope couldn't help but stutter, stopped right in her tracks, "...W-why didn't you say so?"

"Hard to get a word in when you're on a rampage with your own aloud thoughts." Corvus scoffed, "A part of me misses the demure-ridden Vanth that did nothing but stutter every five seconds."

Before Hope could say anything more, Jade shoved her door open, a large bag over her back, "We've got a little more than five minutes left. Better have a way to fly out of here, Birdy."

"I hate to say it, really I do, but escaping will be a little easier with Violet senseless." Corvus muttered, before picking her up once more, "Hope, if you'd please carry her bag."

"And the dog," Jade added, following Corvus out, "Don't you dare leave that dog back here."

* * *

When Blythe came through, the world moved faster than she could really keep up with. At first, she assumed that her vision was off, seeing as to how her castle was slowly growing smaller with distance, only to realize that she'd passed out within those walls.

"About time you woke up."

Blythe froze up at the voice, not that she could really do much else in the state she was in at the moment.

"Really, you managed to make one hell of a mess. We hear about your demon problem, but nooooo, the Terror twins INSISTED that you figure it out. Than we catch news that more demons are just walking in like they own the place." The voice went on, a little tired and rugged from dragging Blythe on for who knew how long.

"Seriously, Tyler and Taylor gave you one job; send over those demons so that the Holy Grail can finally be filled. It's so simple and straight forward, Bly. Even with that nifty little skill of yours, you're not performing."

Finally, the person dragging her along dropped her, before walking around, bending over to look the tired, worn demon hunter in the eye, "Do you plan to just vegetate the whole way there, or are you going to open your mouth and say something, Blythey-Withey?"

"Never call me that again." Blythe finally snapped. The moment those words managed to leave her mouth, the world finally came back into focus. She pushed herself up, glaring the other girl down.

Now that she was in focus, she couldn't help but scowl at the obnoxious long fuchsia hair, her light blue eyes glimmering with false humor that she seemed so fond of, "Get off me." Blythe snapped, pushing the other girl back, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm sure that my fellow hunters need my help to push them back-."

"Don't worry about it, something tells me that they won't need your help soon." Another thing for Blythe to hate, that Cheshire-grin with teeth whiter than possible.

Before Blythe could ask, the explosion went off.

For a second, all she heard was the deafening sound of silence, her eyes being the only thing still working at that moment. They widened as the mansion blew apart, debris and dirt getting tossed up into the air, before finally settling.

The once tall and proud walls of her castle crumbled away to dust under the roof. Her knees almost seemed to crumble and give way under her, as all she could do was watch with her mouth agape.

She didn't even realize the distressed wails leaving her throat until she heard the chuckling, "No wonder you don't talk often. I wouldn't bother talking when I can yell like that."

Blythe swung around, ready to punch, kick, scream, something, only to have her knees give out on her, falling face first into the ground.

"And to think you were our appointed demon hunter." the other girl groaned to herself, before bending down to grab Blythe once more, "The twins are gonna have a few choice words for you."

Blythe had no energy left to argue, watching the smoke and dust drift up from the remains of her kingdom.

* * *

 **So, won't lie, I've been looking into making a video game, and I was wondering if anyone out there had any little snippet ideas or any character, background or anything, really. Like, just any ideas, I'd love to jot them down and, if it happens one day, use them (and give all the credits to you peeps of course).**

 **Anywho, back to all of this, this chapter was really more of an end to the last chapter, didn't really give anything, so to make up for it, next one should be up within the next three days.**

 **God, it's nice to be back.**

 **Anywho, that's all for today, I'll catch you guys next chappie!**

 **Till then, bai bai!**


	11. His Fair Lady, Reflected

**I can finally use this joke.**

 **OH DEAR GOD, WHAT YEAR IS IT!?**

 **There we go, now, with that out of the way, GUESS WHO'S STILL ALIVE!?**

 **It took forever for me to find time to finally finish this chapter, as well as all the time it took to rewrite over and over again.**

 **So, sorry for the long wait, and I'm apologizing now for all the waits to come. Cause, knowing me, there might be a lot more of those in the future.**

 **I can promise that I'll finish this story, so don't worry about that.**

 **And now, with that out of the way, we march on with it!  
**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"How is she doing?" Hope asked, giving the crow demon an almost nasty look as he closed the bedroom door behind him.

"Still unconscious." Sebastian murmured, a hand coming up to hold his forehead, the other holding to the metal plate, keeping it in place under his arm.

"The hell you mean, 'still unconscious'?" Jade grumbled, leaning on the wall behind the two other demons, a scowl on her face, "She's been 'still unconscious' for two weeks now! You said that she should have pulled through by now!"

"I do not recall promising anything to you, _stultus_." Corvus hissed, giving Jade a dirty look, "Last I checked, you were told to keep an eye on the perimeter."

"But it's so boooooooring!" Jade groaned, throwing her hands out onto the way in a display of great dramatic distress, "There's nothing out there but green! Besides, we're so remote and out of the way, there's no way someone would have followed us!"

"That means nothing to me." Corvus nearly hissed, before pointing to the window, "You may either walk yourself out, or I could escort you out this window."

"Fine, be like that, whatever." Jade grumbled, slipping her hands into her pockets before pushing past Hope on her way out.

"I don't see why we let her stay." Hope growled, glowering in Jade's direction, "She's more of a liability than an asset."

"It would be best to keep her close," Corvus insisted, taking a moment to fix his hair and composure, before walking on, he was expected to have dinner ready after all, "The last thing we need is for her to do something trackable."

"Which is why we should make as much distance as possible."

"Don't let your own personal bias speak for you." Corvus shot right back, tugging at the collar of his shirt, "She could be an asset, we just need to groom her."

"Well, if that's the way you want to play or cards, then be my guest." Hope grumbled, straightening her skirt before marching down the hall, "God damnit, I need some time to myself. I'm going to head down to Rochdale after I clean up a bit. Send Jade after me or something when Violet wakes up or something."

With that, Hope was gone.

It took all of Corvus' personal willpower to keep himself in check. Not only was he at his own wits end (it really wasn't easy with those two harping on him all the time), but it was becoming apparent that he was outnumbered from both ends.

And then, on top of that, there was this whole Violet/Kuro business.

He allowed his mind to fumble with his thoughts and he turned to walk to the backdoor.

Honestly, he didn't think it would be this much of a hassle to keep sane during this whole debacle. At this point, the only thing keeping him in the game was Kuro.

…Or was it?

He couldn't help it, try it as he may, he could hear something in the back of his head. It was telling him that he was wrong, that this wasn't what it looked like.

He nearly tripped down the stairs, head stuck so far up in the clouds that he almost went flying.

With that, he decided to take to ignoring this tiny portion of his head. He had a lot on his plate as is, he couldn't allow himself to fall down into the depths of his own thoughts.

Sighing, he rested his head on the backyard door. He just needed a moment to himself right now, that was it, just a small moment of peace…

Of course, the moment he opened the door, that's when it had to get worse. Corvus made a face, stepping back as the puppy dashed into the mansion, pushing past his ankles in order to get in.

It took all his willpower not to kick the puppy on instinct.

"What's going on here?" Hope asked, popping her head in through the doorway.

"I thought I sent all you headaches away." Corvus groaned.

"Well, I was on my way, but I kinda got sidetracked when I saw the dog run in from across the backyard." Hope muttered, giving Corvus an odd look, "…Are you okay?"

"I'm absolutely euphoric."

"…You look like you need a moment to yourself." Hope sighed, giving him an almost pitiful look, before throwing her head back, "Give yourself a moment."

"…Excuse me?"

"Exactly, you're excused." Hope sighed, rolling her sleeves up and she stepped back into the mansion, "You go take a moment to calm down or something, I'll take care of the dog."

Corvus couldn't help but give her a look for a second, only to shake his head. It would only be for a few minutes, what was the harm in giving himself a few minutes?

* * *

Violet wasn't sure where she was.

The pristine hallways looked familiar, but she couldn't tell exactly where she'd last seen it.

She felt as if she were walking forward, but when she tried to move to reach out or touch her face, her arms didn't budge.

It was as if she had been placed into the mind of another, nothing more than a spectator.

Meanwhile, her legs continued to walk on. Left, right, left, right; no one in the hallway to be seen.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't help but feel some sense of distaste for this place. Yes, it all felt too perfect, almost like plastic-like in a sense. It didn't feel right.

After turning a corner, Violet saw it. Two beings standing around, seeming to be holding some sort of conversation.

They both wore immaculate white robes, tied together by golden sashes of some sort. Each angel had their light blond hair tied back and styled, bright blue eyes wide and animated.

But, out of all of that, there was something much bigger that managed to grab Violet's attention.

On the back of both beings, a huge pair of white wings stood, tall and proud. She could see each feather with crystal-clear perfection, just as perfect as the pristine halls.

And just as plastic-like, in a sense.

She watched the angel's expressions fall as Violet got closer, backing up with guarded faces as she walked past.

"Oh my, is that her?"

Their voices shivered in a way, as if they were speaking from underwater.

"I didn't think she was real. What is her name…Arita, right?"

Violet couldn't help but be confused. Were they talking about her?

But that name…That name sounded familiar.

"Sounds about right. But, if that's the case…Do you really think that Cathetel Lux really bestowed the Laurel Crest upon her?"

Laurel Crest? Cathetel Lux? Violet didn't understand any of it.

"There's no way, she only started last year! If the rumors were right, then that means that Cathetel Lux gave a freshman the Laurel Crest!"

Violet wanted to turn around, but her legs kept straight, passing the angels and walking on, ignoring them almost. Instead of turning around, something was pulled over her head, a hood of sorts by the looks of it.

"But didn't you hear Rehael? He was in her class, he watched the Cathetel Lux walk in and pull her aside!"

This was strange, all of this was strange. Violet had no idea what was going on. With all her willpower, she attempted to turn around, stop, something, but she didn't budge.

"But that doesn't prove anything! For all we know, she got pulled aside 'cause they found out about her grotesque nature."

Was there something wrong with her? She couldn't even raise her own hands to inspect them. She felt trapped, as if she were stuck in some sort of shell of sorts.

"Huh, well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, of course it makes sense! Cathetel Lux wouldn't even have time to come to the dormitory!"

There was something whispering in her head. If she focused hard enough, she could hear what this strange ethereal voice had to say.

 _"Such cavalier thoughts."_

"It's a shame, so much wasted talent in that angel."

That voice, it sounded so similar, but twisted almost. It was as if her own voice was being echoed back to her; but rather than a mirror, it was more of a shattered image.

Trapped in her thoughts, she barely noticed that she'd turned the corner, right into the chest of someone else.

"Aww, jeez…Heh, my bad…" The other angel grinned, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. Violet couldn't help but stare, just a bit. This boy had short messy brown hair, and wide bright green eyes. He seemed to be filled to the brim with youthful optimism and energy.

Violet wanted to tell him it was fine, and not to worry about it.

"…Think nothing of it."

…Well, that was close enough. It was that same distorted voice that had whispered through her head that spoke those words, sounding oddly cold and lifeless.

As if her tone didn't bother him, he continued to grin, rubbing the back of his head. His robes were…messier than those of the first two angels, with the sash being a little crooked, and with how one sleeve seemed rolled up higher than the other,

 _"An Initiate, no doubt about it."_

"Umm, I don't mean to be rude or anything," He grinned, rubbing the back of his head, grin still present on his face, "but…Could you help me? I'm a bit lost."

Violet couldn't help but smile right back. He seemed so kind, yet so lost. She wasn't quite sure about this place either, but if she could help, of course she would!

"No."

…Wow, Violet couldn't help but feel like a dick.

There was no control on her end, as her legs moved forward, around the boy, and walking on. She just kept walking on, down the halls. Soon, the doors began littered with doors, each one a perfect mirror to the last one. It was like some sort of hell, where it felt like she as moving, but at the same time, stuck in the same place.

Finally, her body stopped. Slowly, it turned right, facing a door that looked exactly like the others. A perfect carbon copy.

She watched as her hand reached out, A gray sleeve reaching out, rather than an arm covered in those white linens on everyone else.

The door was opened, revealing a dark room, before closing behind her. The room looked dull and dim, with the curtains on the other side pulled close, stray streaks of light peeking through.

She watched as she moved closer to the closet, opening it before pulling off the hoodie. She watched as the gray fabric was pulled off, before the same arm threw the gray jacket into the closet. From there, the same hands moved to pull off what looked to be a white linen robe, similar to the ones that the other angels wore.

Once that was done, the same hand came out to close the closet door, before stepping back.

Violet's head was then slowly turned to the right, forcing her head to face a full-body mirror.

The first thing that caught her attention were the wings.

They weren't as big and proud as the others, but they were still perfect-looking. Not plastic, no, but it held a more natural beauty to it. Her bare shoulders just didn't hold her wings up the same way. Their posture wasn't defeated, no, far from it. Rather, they looked tired, if anything.

The next thing to draw her attention were the scars.

With the robe and hoodie gone, her abdomen was bare, revealing a large, jagged scar. It looked gruesome, as if it had taken a long time to heal, and even then, it healed wrong. It was a dark red, going from the left side of her midsection, all the way down to her right leg.

A few other small scratches here and there also stood out, but that large one looked so sickening.

Last but not least, was her face.

She looked like, well, herself. She still had her long brown hair, messy in a clean sort of way. She had the same physique; the only difference was her eyes.

Instead of a dark blue, it was a deep violet. The color was almost mesmerizing, inhuman almost. She couldn't help but feel as if she looked ethereal.

But, after seeing past that, she noticed it.

Her expression was stuck in a dead frown of sorts, eyes blank of any real sort of emotion. She looked like an angel, yes, but…Something was off. There was something off with how she held herself, compared to the others.

She watched as her head tilted to the side, eyes narrowing.

"Disgusting."

The word was spat, from her own mouth, at her own reflection.

Her eyes bore into her own soul, as if trying to rip herself out and expose it to the world. Expose the filthy insides that built her up.

The intense hatred of her own eyes felt like fire. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything. She was trapped in this shell, this isn't right, none of this is right.

Finally, her body moved to leave the mirror, instead moving to plop herself down on a bed. She leaned back, eyes stuck to the ceiling.

"It'll only be for a few minutes, what was the harm in having a few minutes?"

* * *

Violet shot straight up, eyes wide and chest heaving. The curtains had been drawn in order to keep the room dark, with only stray lights poking through the openings.

Other than that, the entire room was pitch black.

Mind racing, she tried to remember. Was all of that a dream? No, it all felt too real…

"Wait…" She muttered, hands tugging at the sheets. When had she gotten home? She was sure this was her bedroom, no doubt about it, but last she checked, she was in Penketh…

She blacked out, she remembered that, but she couldn't remember exactly why.

She groaned, holding her head as she curled up. All this memory crap was becoming a nuisance. She knew she was missing something, multiple important pieces of this stupidly huge puzzle, and she just couldn't remember exact details.

Come to think of it, she was having a hard time trying to remember her own dream. She froze, attempting to mentally backtrack.

She couldn't help the panic that rose within her when she couldn't recall the dream. What if it was something important? What if it was a missing piece that she needed in order to complete this puzzle in her mind?

She forced her breathing to even out, forcing the pressure in her chest down. Hyperventilating would do no one any good, especially when she was in the dark by herself. Inhale, exhale, take hold of her mind, inhale, exhale.

Little by little, her mind began to piece back what had happened. She had been in…an Academy of some sort…And that name was familiar…What had it been, Arita, right?

The more her mind gave her, the more relaxed she'd became.

Once she'd calmed down a bit, she slowly pulled the sheets off. She was sure that Corvus (er, Sebastian? God, this was getting a little confusing) had taken her home, and thus, her bag had to be in here somewhere.

The sooner she wrote whatever she remembered down, the better.

Of course, she froze the moment she heard someone coughed awkwardly in the corner.

Her eyes slowly turned to the corner of the room, squinting in order to see the faint outline of the person. Even with how soft the light was, Violet could make out the tall pink hair that sat on this person's head.

"Morning, kid. Hope you don't mind, but…we need to talk."

* * *

 **One day, I'll write a real book and publish it. I'm going to author so good, you won't even know.**

 **Yee.**


	12. His Fair Lady, Possessed

**Amy: OH MY GOD IT'S BEEN TOO LONG! I MISS THIS, ALL OF THIS!**

 **Erin: $5 says that no one really remembers us.**

 **Lilith: You make it sound as if we had qualities worth remembering.**

 **Amy: Aaaaaaand don't miss you.**

 **Erin: Ha, roasted.**

 **Amy: I don't miss you either.**

 **Miu: Why do all of our reunions start off with something like this?**

 **Amy: I kinda miss you, won't lie Miu.**

 **Azazel: It always is nice to be back here!**

 **Amy: I can't miss you when I don't remember you.**

 **Lilith: Agreed.**

 **Azazel:...This is why I don't bother anymore, God damnit, when is my stupid sequel, I was promised a sequel...*leaves***

 **Amy:...Well...Shit.**

 **Erin: On a serious note, though, it has been a while. Like, a long-ass while. Like, holy crap, what's my name again?**

 **Amy: Dick-weed.**

 **Erin: Shut it.**

 **Amy: It was worth a shot.**

 **Lilith: On a separate note, anyone else noticing something weird?**

 **Amy: Weird how? You'll have to be specific with this crowd.**

 **Erin: Maybe what you're feeling is the bliss of knowing your story is still going, with an ending book three planned.**

 **Amy: Yeh, just go ahead and keep rubbing it in, it's not like that mentally hurts or something...**

 **Erin: Well, if we're gonna go there-**

 **Amy: Aaaaaaaand fuck you, starting story!**

 **ONWARDS!**

* * *

"…Well, if you plan to just keep staring at me like that, I'm going to get really uncomfortable."

When nothing changed, Jade groaned, slowly moving to get up, "Come on, I'm not going to do anything bad, honest."

Violet couldn't move. Her senses went dead cold, ignoring the blanket that rested over her.

Jade slowly stood up from her chair, sighing as she cracked her fingers, "Look, I know this looks bad, but…I need some things answered."

"…Where's Corvus?" Violet heard her mouth say. Meanwhile, her mind was going into overdrive. Jade was dangerous, she's proven it before, and to have her stuck in a room alone with her…Violet wasn't having a fun time.

"Outside." Was Jade's swift answer, rolling her shoulders as she answered.

Violet kept eyes on Jade, before having them frantically dart over to door.

"Don't bother."

Violet's back went rigid, watching in frozen fear as…Jade sat back, a sheepish smile on her face, "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to come on as so…ominous."

With that, Jade sighed, leaning back in her chair, hands holding her face, "I just…I've got a lot of questions I can't ask the other two, and I feel like you can at least give me some clue as to what's going on."

"I can assure you that I don't know much, period." Violet laughed, or, she tried to. Anything to lift the tension.

"…Tell you what. I'll ask you a question, and in return, you get to ask me something."

Violet's inner alarms were going off. A million red sirens were blaring in her head, but Violet couldn't help it, she was a naturally curious person.

"Okay."

"Alright. Good, good…" Jade muttered, finally reclining into her chair. Violet couldn't help but relax as well. Jade wasn't a close friend, not by far, but she still was a huge help in Penketh.

"I'll start off with an easy one," Jade sighed, rolling her shoulders, "How did you summon the Crow?"

"…I don't really remember," Violet admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "I just…I remember-."

"Feeling desperate?" Jade finished, leaning forward as if in deep thought, "Like you'd be willing to give up anything in order to get out of your situation?"

"…Yeah, actually." Violet muttered, "That was…oddly specific."

"Believe it or not, many people put themselves into that type of position." Jade shrugged, before leaning back in her chair once more, "Alright, your turn. Ask something, anything."

Violet took a moment to think, "Umm…Let's see…What is hell like?"

"Oh, well," Jade laughed, "Let me think, it has been a while…I remember a blood-red sun, and that the sky always looked like it was early evening. If I had to explain the part where I lived…Think apocalyptic Rochdale, with more tall and broken buildings."

"Huh." Was all Violet could think, leaning back. What an odd explanation.

"Alright…" Jade murmured, "…Where'd you get the ring?"

Maybe she was just so used to having it on at all times, but she had almost forgotten that the red ruby ring was still there, secured tightly around her finger, "I got it from Corvus."

"May I?" When Jade asked, Violet nodded, taking the ring off before tossing it to her, to which Jade had to lean forward a bit to catch it, "Huh, nice design you got in there." Jade muttered, inspecting the gem.

"What?"

"Yeah, if you look inside, there's an emblem that's drawn under the ruby," Jade muttered, before setting it down on the vanity behind her, "How pleasantly dainty. Anyway, your turn again."

Violet nodded, having had time to think, "Why did you get leave hell? I'm going to hope and pray to God that you didn't get kicked out, or something."

Jade couldn't help but crack a small grin, "Damn, that's a whole story in of its own…"

"You see, back then, I was living with my older brother and…a close family friend, I guess you could call him. It was just the three of us for a long time, and then…Something happened. I forget what exactly, but let's just say that I wasn't really…suitable for life in hell. I remember being timid, weak and scrawny. So, after pulling a lot of strings, a friend of my friend brought me up here, and well, the rest is history."

"Weird," She couldn't imagine Jade as any of those three words. This demon in front of her seemed to be the exact opposite of everything she had described. Jade looked strong, healthy, and the farthest thing from timid possible.

God knew that Violet wanted baby pictures now.

"Moving it on, I wanna know a little more about you." Jade kicked one leg over the other, her posture exuding leisure and confidence, "Got any family? Close friends? Surely, you don't live in this huge place with only that old Crow and the crabby maid lady."

"There…There use to be." Violet finally muttered out, forcing out an awkward laugh before rubbing the back of her head, "It wasn't always like this, but honestly, I'd prefer it to be large and empty over how this place used to be run."

"Oh? Why is it so?"

"Nope, that's not how this works." Violet chided lightly, grinning when Jade chuckled softly, "My turn. Now, this has been bugging me for a bit, but do all demons have superpowers like yours, or…?"

To this, Jade couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head, "No, in hell, there's only seven demons that have 'superpowers', if that's what you want to call them. Of course, since many demons had different animal affiliations and attributes, there were some demons that had wings and scorpion tails, just to name a few."

"What kind of demon are you?" Violet couldn't help but ask, "Cause, won't lie, I'm not seeing any wings, nor scorpion tails."

"Cheetah demon. When I was younger, I use to have the markings on my face and arms." Jade replied, pulling her sleeves up to reveal nothing but pale skin, "Don't remember exactly when they disappeared, but when I came here, I just woke up without them one day."

"Huh, weird."

"I tend not to think about it too hard," Jade teased, "By the way, you asked two questions, kid."

"Whoops, my bad."

"Don't worry about it," Jade shrugged it off, "But I get two now."

"By all means."

"Okay, let me think for a bit…" Jade muttered, her fingers drumming on her leg as she thought. All the while, Violet couldn't help but shiver, just a bit. Damn, her room was cold when the curtains were still pulled shut, "How'd you meet the momma bird?"

"Who, Hope?" Violet couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, she could totally see it now, "Corvus and I had to go to Rochdale in order to find someone. We ended up meeting Hope along the way."

"Okay, but why did she bother with following you around? I mean, you've already got the Crow, so why would you also need her?"

"All I remember is Corvus saying that a little more help around the mansion could do us some good." Violet shrugged. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't like Corvus didn't do most of everything. If anything, really, Hope was a bit of a back-up bodyguard.

As of recently, that was.

"Honestly, at first, I assumed that you two picked her up as some sort of hitman, or something." Violet wasn't sure why, but her mind began to spin, head slowly going fuzzy, "I could have sworn for sure that you had hired someone to contract-kill me."

"Nah, only the really special demons got jobs like that," Jade said, almost sounding wistful, "And even then, there's only a handful of demons that are ever able to get the job done well."

"I never thought that there was a whole system for demon hitmen," Violet couldn't help but wonder aloud, "But I guess it makes sense."

"Yeah, you have no idea." With that, Jade stretched forward, something popping as she did so, "Anyway, your turn again."

Violet thought on it for a second, before asking, "Your brother and his friend; what were their names?" All the while, she ignored the growing buss in the back of her head, as well as the sudden shift in temperature in the room.

Jade couldn't help but chuckle lightly, fingers flexing as she did so, "My older brother's name was Marax, the family friend was Valefor."

Marax and Valefor.

Violet didn't know why, but that buzzing her head shot straight up, going from a dull irritation to exploding white noise.

Valefor.

That name. Something was off about that name.

 _Vale._

Vale? Where had the name Vale come from? Who was Vale!? Violet wasn't sure if it was the static in her head or the sudden onslaught of overthought, but she felt nauseous. She felt as if she were fighting to stay upright. The room was now far too cold, far too dark. It felt as if the life was being sucked out, leaving Violet alone.

With Jade.

Who was slowly looking more sinister as time passed.

"Why? Do you know those names?"

"No!" Violet couldn't help but squeak, the word coming out before she could really think. The moment those words left her mouth, Violet knew she was in trouble.

All the while, Jade's smile stretched, going from warm and welcoming to cold and plastic.

"You're lying."

The air in the room went dropped a few degrees, as Jade stood up, her hand reaching under her chair, before pulling out a familiar looking notebook.

Violet's notebook.

"You see, I see their names all over the place in this thing." Jade muttered, flipping through the pages as if she were going through an old yearbook, "I've also come across a few doodles. It's quite interesting, really. I mean, in one of these, you've almost perfectly captured my brother's nature. Not to mention that Valefor's scowl looks spot-on here."

With that final thought, Jade slammed the book shut in her hands, eyes going stone cold in a matter of seconds as she put the notebook down.

"Very interesting."

All the while, Violet couldn't help but stutter, slowly backing up into the bed, only to be stopped by the bed backboard.

"I have one last question, if that's the case," Jade sighed, cracking her knuckles as she slowly approached the bed, placing both hands down on the mattress. There would be no way out of this.

"Just what are you trying to hide in that head of yours, kid?"

* * *

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

Corvus' eyes shot open at the voice, gloves hands gripping the grass under him from the sudden sound.

Looking up from his resting place, Corvus scoffed, before lying back down, "I thought that you were on that mutt's case, Vanth."

"Why would I be doing that?" Hope sneered right back, giving him a dirty look.

"Are you really that senseless?" Corvus couldn't help but growl. To think, the little demon girl assumed him to be foolish, "You were to get the dog out of the mansion!"

"And why, pray tell, would I do that!?" Hope shouted right back, before gesturing to the dirt road, "I just got back from Rochdale! Unless you've been seeing double, which isn't much better honestly, I'd call you asinine at this point!"

To this, Corvus couldn't help but stiffen up, quickly getting up from the ground, "You just got back from Rochdale, you say?"

"No duh." Hope sighed, holding her forehead, "God, you dunce, is it that hard to hear me over your arrogance?"

Corvus didn't give her a second thought, dusting his shirt off before quickly makes his way over to the mansion's backdoor, nearly ripping the doorknob off while opening the door, "We need to get to Violet's room."

"Why? I thought it was you who was going on and on about letting her sleep in." Hope scoffed, following Corvus into the mansion.

"If you haven't put it together by now, you are more of a fool than you believe me to be." Corvus grumbled, taking a swift turn to face the stairs, his grip on the handle nearly leaving indents.

Hope couldn't help but look confused for a bit, before it finally clicked, "Oh, fuck." Was all she could manage, going frozen for just a second, before scoffing, "I told you she'd be a liability." She grumbled, following Corvus up the stairs, only to run into his back.

"Hey!" Hope growled, pushing past him, "What the hell's your-?"

The two of them couldn't help but stare at the bright white light shooting through the crevices of Violet's door.

"…That can't be a good sign." Hope offered, watching as Corvus pushed on, reaching for the doorknob.

"It's locked." Corvus growled, throwing his fist against the door, "Jade, open this door!"

No answer. The only significant change was that, somehow, the light behind the door was slowly growing brighter.

"Yeah, because she'll open the door if we ask nicely." Hope grumbled.

"Your constant irritation is of just as much help." Corvus spat right back at her.

"Well, do you have a better idea?"

"Move."

Hope had exactly two seconds to act before Corvus backed up, knee held up to his chest as he sized up the door, before slamming his heel down on the wood, watching some of the wood in the middle of the door splinter.

"Damn." Corvus grumbled, before lifting his heel again, "The moment that this door is open, take care of Violet."

"Hey, what will you be left to-?"

CRACK!

With another kick, the door was loosened from its hinges, falling flat onto the carpet inside of the room.

The two of them had to cover their eyes, blinding white light somehow growing brighter. Corvus took a step in, narrowed eyes become wide with a bit of surprise, frozen in shock for longer than he'd like to admit.

Jade was on the bed, her back against the blankets, arms and legs thrashing about. All the while, Violet seemed to be sitting on top of her, both hands coming to close around Jade's neck, strangling her.

The moment she noticed, Violet turned around, a void of emotion and care. At first, Corvus had assumed that the light was coming from only her eyes, but upon further inspection, it would seem as if her entire being were exuding this intense light.

The light of an angel.

Hope snapped out of it before he could, not bothering to think twice before tackling Violet to the ground, ripping her off of Jade.

Once he had snapped out of his stupor, Corvus moved to grab Jade, whipping her around in order to throw her up against the wall, "What did you do!?"

"All I did was ask questions!" Jade finally managed to get out, attempting to stand only to have Corvus rip his hand away, yelping as she fell.

In his rage, he barely noticed that the light had died down, leaving them all in the dark of the bedroom, the only light coming from the hallway, "Vanth, I swear if you-."

"I just put her to sleep." Hope sighed, scowling as she slowly got up from her spot on the ground, flexing her wrists as she did so, "Honestly, if we're lucky, she won't remember any of this when she wakes up."

To that, Corvus glowered, eyes narrowed, "And what, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?"

"She just went through a lot of mental trauma." At that statement, Hope shot a pointed look at Jade, who had yet to get up from her spot on the ground, "Not that I could imagine why."

"Don't look at me like that," Jade scowled, leaning heavily on the wall as she struggled to get her legs under her body, "I had questions, and I got a lot of them answered."

At that moment, Corvus moved around the bed, "Hope, take care of Jade, if you please. Take her to the dining room, we have a lot to talk about before Violet wakes up."

Nodding, Hope moved out of the way, allowing Corvus to slowly and carefully pick the now-sleeping Violet. Once he had her settled down on the bed, Corvus took his time pulling the blankets back up, tucking her in before moving to pace across the room.

All the while, Corvus wasn't sure what to think. This was all a mess, a huge, filthy mess that seemed to grow with each passing second. He felt the need to kick something, break something, anything. Satan knew he'd give anything to give Aranea a good hit across the face in that moment.

But, he breathed in deeply, giving himself a second to recollect. He couldn't help but look to Violet's sleeping form, chuckling lightly, "I'm sure you would have told me to get a hold of myself by now." Corvus said softly, brushing the hair out of Violet's face.

"You'd tell me to stay strong, wouldn't you? To quit 'bitching' and take care of it."

Finally, he placed a kiss on Violet's forehead, "Soon, I promised you."

With that, he got off his knee, dusting himself off before heading towards the door. Soon, it would all come together soon, he was sure of it.

Till then, he had a lot of work to do.

* * *

"Please state your name and conformation."

"Cynthia Saclut, I'm here with Blythe Lee Denholm; the Tenebris twins called for us?"

"Of course, Ms. Saclut. If you could just show us your ID, then you can be let in."

"Not a problem!"

All the while, Blythe scowled lightly to herself. She forced herself to bite her own tongue in order to keep quiet, as the guard finally let the two of them inside. She couldn't help but glare at the guard, eyes piercing through his dark blue Tenebris uniform when he wished the two of them a good day.

She hated this place. She hated the dungeon-like entrance into the cave-looking base. She hated how, once inside, the whole place resembled a stone maze, alit with torches and lamps in order to cast shadows down unsuspecting hallways. She hated how the cells built into the walls had bars of rusted metal, as well as the rustier iron doors that seemed to be sprinkled about randomly. She hated the dark stone that made up the walls and ceiling, as well as the wet musky smell that seemed to permit throughout the place. She hated that she had no idea how to maneuver this underground labyrinth without some form of help.

"God, it's good to be home!"

And God knew how much she hated her. Blythe hated that long obnoxious fuchsia hair, and those stupidly gleeful light blue eyes. She hated how this lady (who was apparently ten years her senior) (somehow) wore a disgustingly tattered red scarf over her Tenebris uniform, and how her stupid Cheshire-grin and pleasant greetings were enough to get friendly responses from passing guards and whatnot.

Truly disgusting, without a doubt.

"Now now, there's no need to look so glum, Bly!" Cynthia chirped, strolling along as if they were in a meadow rather than the dark hall of the Tenebris base, "It could be much worse, you know!"

As if Cynthia couldn't be irritating enough, then she had to open her mouth.

Blythe did what she could to ignore the other woman's irritating voice, which of course didn't amount to much when the hallways were best and echoing. Blythe had half a mind to lock herself in one of the many unused cells.

"For one, we could be on the other side of those bars."

Or better yet, lock her in one and leave it at that.

"For another, I could choose to be irritated with you." Cynthia went on, pulling at the tattered ends of her scarf, "I mean, do you have any idea how backed up I am with work now? They pulled me out of a hunt in order to send me to Penketh as your back-up!"

Blythe scowled. Honestly, she couldn't handle Cynthia Saclut.

"Speaking of which, Sutton's on my ass too, now! He had to go on the Keldren trip alone because I got pulled out last minute! Not that it matters much, the group was already cut down with Greyson's death. Honestly, you're just a beacon of misfortune, aren't you?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd assume that you're angry." Blythe finally spat out, not that it really mattered.

"In all honesty, I am beyond furious at this moment!" Cynthia went on, grin becoming tighter, "But right now, that would do me no good! Even if your sudden downfall resulted in a whole group of demons getting away."

Blythe couldn't help but scowl. Saclut's mood was more than what Blythe could keep up with.

"But hey, like I said, it could be much worse. Especially for you."

"Dare I ask why?" Blythe nearly spat out.

Cynthia stopped abruptly, grin still ever present as she whipped around, head cocked to the side "I mean, you could be dead right now, you know, like the rest of your family."

For a moment, time stood still. Cynthia's smile was still wide, but her eyes were narrowed, furious almost. Her words came out cold as ice, a giant jump from her prior mood.

But, just as quickly as the first jump had occurred, Cynthia whipped back into a playful mood, "But that would be mean of me to say, so I won't." Cynthia grinned. All the while, her eyes remained cold and sinister.

Before Blythe could react, the doors were pushed open, "Ms. Saclut? They're ready now."

"Excellent!" Cynthia chirped, clapping her hands together, before grinning down at Blythe, "Come on then, we shouldn't keep the terror twins waiting!"

* * *

 **Lilith: I'm telling you, something's off with this new OC.**

 **Amy: I'm pretty sure you've said the same about everyone else who came after you.**

 **Lilith: I can definitively say that I have never said that about anyone here.**

 **Amy:...I'm sure that I could prove you wrong if I looked it up, but I'm too lazy to do so.**

 **Kuro: I can second that motion.**

 **Lilith: Come on, you can't tell me you think nothing is off with her, Kuro.**

 **Kuro: Of course I think that something's off. Doesn't mean I'm going to do anything about it.**

 **Erin: You just got A La Roasted.**

 **Miu: All j-jokes aside, it's feels nice for all of us to be in the same place again.**

 **Amy: Yeah, if we ignore the forgotten OCs!**

 **Azazel: The forgotten ones?**

 **Amy: Shuuuuuuuuuuuush, we don't speak of them here.**

 **Lilith: What ever happened to Katrina and Nyx?**

 **Amy: God damnit.**

 **Erin: They're in a better place now. A moment of silence for those who have fallen.**

 **...**

 **Amy: Now that that awkwardness is over-**

 **Lilith: And I was just beginning to enjoy it, too**

 **Amy: -Who wants to ends this author's-but-really-OC's-note?**

 **Miu: I'll d-do it!**

 **Thank you so m-much for coming to read, we'll see y-you guys next chapter!**

 **Till then, b-bai bai!**


	13. His Fair Lady, Adapting and Adjusting

**Dab.**

* * *

"You sure are good at making a lady feel comfortable. You know that, Crow?"

"You speak only when we ask you questions." Hope scowled, tightening the ropes one last time, before stepping back, "Corvus?"

Corvus stared down at Jade, the demon girl tied down to a heavy wooden chair. Her arms were bound to the arms of the chair, legs and torso also tied down. Even if she were to get out of the ropes, it wasn't as if they weren't in a locked room with no windows. The only entryway was the door that Hope had taken to leaning on.

There would be no way out.

"Sufficient enough." He finally concurred, anger just barely contained as he stalked forward, "Now then, I do believe that you have some explaining to do."

"Really?" Jade gasped, mouth dropping to an exaggerated level before jerking her hands from left to right, "I never would have thought that, while being tied down like this, you'd want to actually get something out of me."

"Cut the sarcasm." Hope scowled from where she stood, "It's not like this is our favorite pastime."

"I'll cut the sarcasm when you cut the bull-."

"What were you doing in Violet's room?" Corvus finally cut in, tone curt and venomous. "I know that I didn't let you back into the mansion, so you must have some sort of acceptable reasoning behind deciding to sneak into Violet's room in such a manner."

"I wanted answers to my questions." Jade exclaimed, her face looking as impassive as possible, "I knew you two either wouldn't tell me or didn't know, so I decided to be smart and go straight to the source."

"Dancing around the direct answer, I see." Hope mused from her spot, "Still trying to twist out of this."

"I can twist a lot of things." Jade sneered, before turning back to face Corvus, giving him a wink, "Wanna see?"

"You're just asking for it, aren't you?" Corvus muttered, shaking his head. He was pissed, that much was obvious enough, and he knew that Jade knew it. She looked almost pleased with his reaction, to a point, if the smirk she wore said anything.

Corvus slammed his hands back down on the armrests of the chair, the wood giving out from under his gloved hands. But, right before he could make another move, Hope cleared her throat, "Corvus, if I could talk to you for a second."

It took a lot of self-control for Corvus to lift his hands from the newly made hand prints. He shot Jade one last look, before following Hope out of the door, closing the door behind them, "Before you say it, yes I see that Jade may be-."

"Let me take over."

To this, Corvus couldn't help but give her a look, "…Excuse me?"

"She knows how to play you," Hope went on, "She sees it, I see it, and I'm sure you can kinda see it."

"And you think you can do a better job than I can?"

"I think that I could use a different approach." Hope explained, before sighing, "Look, just give me an hour, or so. Hell, you can stand right out here if you want, but let me try to reason with her."

"Like she'll take you seriously."

"I have a feeling that your take on 'serious' might be her take on 'borderline hilarious'." Hope deadpanned.

Finally, Corvus huffed, moving out of the way of the door, "An hour. No more than that."

"Bet I could get something out of 45 minutes." With that, Hope opened the door, giving him a sternly calm nod, before closing the door behind her.

Once gone, Corvus couldn't help but let out a groan. As if things couldn't become more complicated! As if this situation wasn't already bad, he now had this incident to add to his growing list.

As if Jade wasn't already enough of a problem, keeping her here was the best option! If she were to leave, especially on bad terms, who was to stop her from leading others back here? He knew better than anyone else, demons could be very petty.

And then there was Vanth-turned-Hope. He could not shake the image of the timid maid girl that trembled at his every word. He never thought that he'd miss that irritating stuttering, but compared to this teasing and borderline imposing girl, he couldn't help but have second opinions.

And now, they were both in the same room, where one of two things could happen.

Either Hope and Jade reached some sort of agreement.

…Or he would have to hear hell from the other side of that room.

With that final thought, Corvus sighed, leaning against the door. This was going to be a long hour.

* * *

"Oh? Where did the big bad Crow go?"

Hope ignored her as she made sure that the door was all locked up tight, "Oh, does a little special someone think that they can be a big girl now?" Jade sneered, cackling in her chair, "I'm so scared."

Hope ignored her, looked down to her hands as she flexed her fingers slowly. This couldn't be too hard, right?

"What, don't want to listen to me?" At the sound of her own voice, Hope looked up to come face to face with herself, a large grin spreading across the doppelganger's face, "Maybe you want to listen to yourself for once? You know, some self-reflection?"

The only answer Jade got was a cold glare.

"Wow, so menacing." Jade grinned, giving Hope's fake face an inhuman expression, "What, secretly full of self-loathing?"

Jade couldn't help but let out a dramatic sigh when her statement was followed by more silence, "Jeez, I didn't think that you'd be so awkward about all of this. Cat got your tongue?"

"Seriously though, I can't help but wonder what this is supposed to do for you," Jade sighed, head lolling to the side in an almost nonchalant manner. Hope really didn't like seeing that expression on her face, "I don't suppose you want to fill me in?"

Hope had honestly moved to tune the irritating shapeshifter out, instead focusing on flexing her fingers. Open, close. Open, close.

"No? Nothing?" Jade groaned, before her voice changed, "Maybe you'd be more willing to talk to me instead?"

For a split second, Hope honestly believed that Violet was sitting there, tied to the chair. Her mind had a split second of pure confusion, only to shake it away, instead giving the demon an even dirtier glare.

"Wow, nothing?" Hope didn't like that innocent sparkle in the phony's eye, nor did she like how the devilish grin fit onto her face, "Not even a little bit of a reaction?"

Hope went back to ignoring her, going back to staring at her hands, as if that would give her more control over the situation.

"Do you think that you're intimidating?" Jade finally snapped, voice returning back to her own self as she glared at the back of Hope's head, "You have no idea what I've been through, what I've seen. You think that this quiet little show you got going here is going to induce fear?"

"No, not really."

"Finally, she speaks!" Jade shouted, throwing her head back dramatically, "Well, now that you're FINALLY responsive, let me ask you something. You have me tied down to a chair in a room with only one exit. You want whatever's in my head, I'm assuming, with no sure-fire way of getting to it."

"That's correct, yes."

"In that case," Jade went on, her smirk widening in amusement, "What on earth makes you think that I'll cave?"

"I never said that you had to cave now, did I?" With that, Hope flexed her fingers one last time, before slowly walking over, glaring down at Jade's confident smirk.

The moment that Hope put her fingertips to Jade's forehead, Hope swore that she saw a second of terror. She couldn't help but reveal in that moment, the single chink in that smug armor Jade wore.

"Someone's getting a bit close, huh?" Jade grinned, a single drop of sweat slowly making its way down her face, "If you're looking for a kiss, all you had to do was ask."

With that, the world went black for the both of them.

* * *

When Hope opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of bright flashes of light. She had to hold herself back from instinctively swatting them away, taking a moment to watch.

It was as if these colorful lights were dancing, twirling and twisting around in the air without a care in the world.

"There are a lot more of these then I thought that there would be." Hope muttered to herself, before reaching out to cup a green-imbued flame. The moment it landed in her hands, she could hear Jade's light voice echoing.

 _"Maybe plants are really farming us, giving us oxygen until we eventually expire and turn into mulch which they can consume."_

"...Okay." Hope muttered, allowing the thought to flutter off, "That's of no help."

She then turned to the next nearest green light, reaching out to hold it in her open palm.

 _"The person who had to proofread Hitler's speeches was a grammar nazi."_

"What is with all these shower thoughts?" Hope groaned, moving past the green lights. It took a lot more searching, but she finally found a blue light.

"Finally," Hope grumbled, reaching out to hold it, "I swear to God if I have to go through hundreds of these-."

The moment it touched Hope's palm, she felt as if she were thrown into a vortex of white. When the light died down, she looked around the alleyway, noting the tattered blanket on the ground, as well as a small tattered stuffed bear at her feet. She didn't need to smell the sulfur-tainted air, nor did she have to hear the faint screaming and shouting to know where she was.

In all honesty, it didn't look all that different to the part of the Rift that she'd grown up in. All it was really missing was a little potty corner, really.

"Lezabel, what the hell are you still doing here!? RUN!"

Hope's perception was whipped to the side, watching as a young demon with wide aero blue eyes and a tiger's tail take a turn around the corner, before bending down to hurriedly pick up the blanket and the teddy bear, before running after the tiger demon.

Hope couldn't help but think that he was...familiar looking. Granted, she didn't remember ever walking into someone like him in the Rift, so maybe she was thinking of a relative to this boy? An older brother, or father, perhaps?

Lost in thought she nearly missed it, watching as the little tiger demon slid, coming up on his knees before ripping some wooden boards off the wall. Behind it, a small passageway was revealed, "We're almost there, Lez! Hurry it up, we don't want the guard catching us!"

The moment that her view crouched down, most likely in order to follow the tiger demon, Hope felt as if she were being pulled out, the bright, white light fading back into black.

Hope took a moment to shake her head, the vast number of blue and green lights giving her vertigo.

Hope couldn't help but groan, staring at the vast number of blue lights. It would take (what would feel like) hours to look through all of these.

She reached out to hold another blue light, feeling the familiar rush of air to her face, as if the memory itself was sighing in her face. She slowly pried her eyes open, confused when everything was still dark.

The sound of whining wood and creaking metal startled her more than she would have liked to admit. She couldn't see where she was, nor could she really tell what was going on. Aside from the heavy metal footsteps and wood creaking, there were no other clues as to where she was.

Finally, a door was kicked open, giving enough light for Hope to see the dark brick walls of the narrow stairway, before being thrown forward.

She frantically eyed the room, eyes widening as they landed on a familiar face, holding a long metal rod with a flat end. The very sight itself made the back of Vanth's neck itch uncomfortably.

Hope knew this room too well, from the tall fireplace in the back of the circular room to the small desk pushed off to the side.

She didn't like the cold chill running down her spine, the apprehension choking her.

"I take it that your little mission went well?" The woman's voice sent shivers down Hope's spine, the tone enough to make her flinch.

"That's not information we can give you," The guard said gruffly, a sudden jolt from her back forcing her face first into the floor, "Not that it should matter to you. Here's the Rifter, as promised."

"Ah, wonderful." Ms. Sarai grinned, lightly slapping the metal rod against her palm, the fireplace behind her making it hard to see her expression, "We've been a bit short handed as of late. A few extra hands wouldn't hurt in the slightest."

Vanth didn't realize she was hyperventilating, her head slowly growing dizzy. She honestly wasn't sure if the screaming was coming from her or the memory, "Hold her still, would you?" Ms. Sarai huffed, shaking her head in irritation as she lifted the branding iron, "They tend to do a lot of...squirming when they get antsy."

Hope writhed, hands reaching up to cover her face. The back of her neck burned, her eyes were beginning to tear up. She was still unsure about the origin of the screaming, but whoever it was, it was getting louder.

Hope squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the rest of it, just wanting it all to be over. Too real, it all felt too real. She could have sworn that she heard an explosion of some sort, but she couldn't tell over the sound of blood roaring in her ears.

She didn't even realize that the memory had ended, her head feeling as if it were trying to split. In her dizzy state, she nearly tripped over her feet, arms thrown out in front of her. She didn't realize that she'd caught another memory until she was thrown forward, feeling as if she was being pulled down through the floor into the bright white light once more.

She was thrown right into the running, the red light a tiny bit dimmer than usual. Someone was in front of her, pulling her along as he ran, "We're sure that this'll work, Valefor?" He asked in a gruff yet familiar voice. He had a lion's tail that whipped back and forth as he ran, wearing what looked to be a long tattered T-shirt and jeans.

"Of course!" Someone from behind them yelled back, "Everything has been dealt with, I made sure of it! Jinn said that he'd send Dajjal to the meeting point! So quit whining and move it!"

Hope's field of sight was jerked to the right, as the person in front of her turn a sharp turn.

She could almost see the whole scene with her eyes closed, dipping through alleyways and under archways, having someone to pull and guide her along.

It was all too familiar to her.

Finally, she was tugged to a stop, the alleyway leading up to the rim of the world itself.

Standing right next to the dive was a demon with so many piercings, he was probably more gold than skin.

The moment he saw them approaching, the demon sneered, "So, all three of you? That wasn't the deal, Broker. You only paid enough for one, remember?"

"I'm not an idiot, Dajjal," Valefor hissed, tone oozing irritation as he pushed forward, getting up in Dajjal's face, "It's just her."

The gold-plated demon took a moment to size her up, the cold look sending her shivers, "...Let's make it quick."

A moment of panic went up her spine, as Jade turned to look at Vale, eyes filled with confusion.

 _"What do you mean, just for me?"_

"I'm sorry, I really am." Vale murmured, sounding almost remorseful, as Dajjal pulled a leather pouch from his pocket, "But it was the only way to get you to agree."

Vale refused to turn around to face either of them, instead standing next to the rim, looking over it and into the Rift, "We won't have forever. If we're gonna get this done, it has to be now, Marax."

That made Hope stop, just for a second. Marax? As in, the "do-no-wrong" Marax? As in "silent-yet-kind" guard Marax? There was no way he could be related to Jade, of all people.

"...It's true."

Hope was suddenly enveloped, face buried into his chest as he held her, "I'm sorry, Lez...But after that whole Castle disaster, I...I figured…"

His voice, as well as the rest of him, was shaking. This was as vulnerable as Hope had ever seen the lion demon.

 _"But I don't want to go! What happened to being a team? What happened to sticking together, no matter what?"_

Hope was almost certain that she felt Marax flinch, before he finally picked up Jade's much smaller frame, holding her closer, "I know...I know...But please, understand that this is the best thing for you right now."

 _"No, this isn't fair! It isn't fair! None of this is fair!"_

"Now is not the time to be a child." Vale chided, only to go silent when Marax shot him a look.

"Ignore Vale, he's just being a big nincompoop." Marax muttered, his attempt at softening the moment working, Jade's sobbing stuttered in order for a giggle to break through.

 _"That's such a silly word!"_

Hope could feel the tears streaking down Jade's face, she could feel the small glimmer of happiness in the ocean of sorrow. The heartbreak, the feeling of betrayal, they were all very apparent.

"It really is, isn't it?" Marax chuckled, nuzzling his cheek into the top of her head. The affectionate gesture stirred a purr from Jade, who nuzzled back with quiet glee.

Hope swore she could physically feel the warmth and safety Jade held in those few moments, feeling as if nothing could harm her while being held in such a guarded manner.

Finally, Marax's grip tightened, as if he never wanted to let go, ..."You know I only do what I feel is best for you, right?" Marax muttered, tone filled with dread.

Neither Jade nor Hope seemed to realize what was happening before it was too late.

"Now, Marax!" Vale yelled.

The serene and safe feeling was quickly dispelled, giving way to utter shock and betrayal as Marax let go of her, allowing her to fall backwards into the void.

Marax refused to watch as she fell, eyes instead downcast to his left, as Vale threw something in after her. Dajjal seemed to grin, fingers fluttering as if waved goodbye.

From Hope's point of view, she could see two hands reaching out, a trail of tear drops seeming to fly upwards as the black abyss. The farther she fell, the more reality warped itself. Sounds became drawn out, white and black seemed to dance into one in her eyes. She was sure that, with enough of this, she would go insane. The familiar shivers running down her spine nearly forced her mind to crumble.

It was too much, it was all too much.

Hope was violently ripped away before she could comprehend what had happened, a sickly feeling rising in her stomach as she backed up.

She really didn't want to think about the logistics of throwing up in someone else's head. This whole experience was migrain-worthy as is.

Careful not to accidentally touch any other lights, she gave herself a moment to breathe, trying to ignore her watering eyes and constricted throat.

Her mind felt blurry, almost as if the memories were attempting to merge. She felt as if her mind was screaming, attempting to do all that it could to back away from what it had just seen and processed.

She'd seen enough for what felt like a lifetime. Hope felt as if she was able to live through most of Jade's life's misery in just those three memories. Sure, it wasn't every little thing Jade (Or Lezabel, or… Screw it, all these name changes were becoming a real headache) had lived through, but even then, it felt as if it had been more than enough. She had seen and processed enough.

With that, Hope squeezed her eyes shut. It was enough for her to make her own judgement.

* * *

Hope staggered back, eyes wide as she took it all in, fingertips still on Jade's forehead.

All the while, Jade's eyes bore into her own, face almost a void of emotion, "…I see someone's getting a better hold on their Surface Skill." She chuckled lightly, voice lacking any sort of humor.

Hope didn't give her a second thought, instead taking a moment to breathe. No, the walls were not closing in on her, and no, the ground was not about to swallow her whole.

"...Wow, you have nothing to say?" Jade rambled, eyes rolling as she watched Hope back up, "I have no idea exactly what you saw, but going off of your expression it must have been something bad, huh?"

Breathe in, breathe out. Hope repeated this matra in the back of her head, tuning Jade out as she took a hold of her judgement. She's okay, nothing is wrong. Everything is gonna be okay. She wasn't making the wrong move.

"No, lemme guess which one it was," Jade muttered, "I know that you're not really the 'iron stomach' type, so I guess I'll rule out all the Gehenna instances...Maybe you saw the years I spent in Ender's Stadium?"

...Granted, Jade was making it very hard to keep to her original judgement, but her will wasn't one shattered easily. No, she could hold to it...

"No, maybe you saw something psychologically terrifying...It's possible that you had seen bits and pieces of the fourth circle incident. In my defense, a close family friend of mine was a total avarice enthusiast."

...But damn was Jade making it hard for her to be a good person.

"Or no, being how you seem unable to really mentally translate anything, maybe you just stumbled through some of my-."

"I know what you're trying to do."

This got Jade to stop, her mouth stuck open as her brain tried to catch up with her thoughts "...Sorry?"

"You're trying to talk my ear off and make me mad." Hope said, taking a deep breath in. Dealing with Jade was a lot easier once she had time to calm down, "Just because it works on the Crow doesn't mean that it'll work on me."

Hope did her best to force down the growing delight in her down, Jade's expression was very close to euphoric, "Don't worry, I don't plan on making any of that known, especially to the Crow."

"...Oh?" Jade said, tone cautious and guarded, eyebrows narrowed ever so slightly, "I'm going to guess that you're not going to do that without any sort of drawbacks?"

"Oh, I have demands," Hope corrected, almost taking pride in the way that Jade jumped just a bit (but she didn't, cause she wasn't that kind of person), "But I don't think that they're too much. Of course, if you don't want to reach one-."

"Alright, fine," Jade scowled, giving Hope a suspicious look, "...What do you want out of me?"

* * *

"...Do you plan to continue on as if I don't exist, or do you plan to tell me why Jade's up and about with no supervision?"

"Is it not enough to know that an understanding was met?" Hope shot back, not bothering to give the Crow the eye contact he seemed so desperate for. He could wait, she had these dishes to focus on.

She really didn't want to give in to what he wanted, but it was hard not to turn her attention towards him when he was pushing the cleaned dishes back into the sink, "...Are you fucking serious?"

"I don't know what you're speaking of." Corvus stated bluntly, about to go on, only to have someone knock.

They both turned to face Jade, her chin resting on the doorframe, "Hey, so, I'm just here to say that it might take awhile to find that dog. Like, a really long while."

"Just keep looking." Hope muttered nonchalantly, to which Jade huffed, giving her a fake salute before walking off.

Corvus blinked, "...What was that?"

"What was what?"

"That whole...exchange."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hope didn't need to look at Corvus to feel the utter resentment rolling off of his shoulders. God knew that, if they were back in hell, she'd be able to see that black scary shadow that looms over him when he got this mad.

"Vanth...What did...You do?" It felt like Corvus was trying to push words through his teeth, each word accented with how his grip was slowly but surely tightening on the counter.

"I got her to promise not to try that shit with Violet ever again," Hope shrugged, scrubbing hard on the dish she was cleaning. Jeez, this stain was not coming out anytime soon, "You really don't need to know more than that."

"Actually, I would beg to differ." She could FEEL his teeth grinding, "As long as she's here, she's a threat to Violet-."

"She won't be bothering Violet anymore." Hope cut in quickly, "So, as far as your concerned, it doesn't concern you." Hope shrugged, eyes darting over to the counter with a sigh, "Also, I'd appreciate it if you didn't turn the kitchen counter into a stress ball."

"Now listen here, you cun-."

Corvus' insult was cut short by light footsteps, slowly getting closer before Violet's head popped out from around the corner, "What's with all the yelling?" she yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "What's going on? What did I miss?"

"It's nothing at all, my lady." Corvus cut in quickly, eyes almost daring the other two to add something, "We're just settling a disagreement."

"But already been resolved, so there's no reason to worry about anything, my lady." Hope added, before shooting a coy look at Corvus, "Isn't that right, Sebastian?"

It was barely noticeable, but she could see the twitch in the corner of his mouth, "Of course."

Violet, oblivious to it all, walked over to the counter, yawning and stretching as she did, "Well, good think for that then, cause I have a lot of questions. Like what happened after Penketh."

The two demons couldn't help but feel a sudden shudder down their spines, Hope being the one to step up and ask the burning question, "What's the last thing you can recall?"

"Damn, I don't really know…" Violet muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I remember...there was a fight, nothing went as planned...Did I kill someone?"

"Yes, you were able to take down Edward Greyson, just as you set out to do." Corvus said, "Afterwards, you fainted, so we headed back to the manor."

"Huh, weird...I can't really remember that." Violet muttered, before shrugging sheepishly, "I mean, the fainting explains a lot of that, but still…my memory feelings really...foggy."

"It isn't too far fetched," Hope insisted, finally finishing the dishes and moving to stand next to Violet, patting her back, "You went through a lot on that day, it makes sense for that sort of mental and physical fatigue to take a toll like that."

The two waited with what felt like bated breath, watching as Violet's eyebrows narrowed with concentration. Hope made sure herself, when she put her mind back to sleep. There was no way that she'd overlooked something.

Right?

Finally, Violet shrugged, "Well, if I can't remember it, must not have been too important." She then grinned, before cracking her knuckles, "On a different note, that's two targets down! There's only one left, right, Corvus?"

"You are correct, my lady." Corvus said, his expression of pure relief one that Hope shared with him, "Would you like to begin working on the search?"

"Yes!" Violet cheered, her enthusiasm nearly overpowering. Of course, that moment was soon forgotten when her stomach decided to make it's pain known, a low growl echoed around the kitchen.

The sound was followed by silence, before Hope spoke up, "Maybe we should eat first?"

"Yes." Violet agreed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"It's probably for the best," Hope insisted, watching as Corvus escorted Violet to the dining room, "Jade has a map somewhere, but who knows when she'll be able to make it back."

* * *

 **Extra Dab.**


	14. His Fair Lady, On the hunt

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **Honestly don't have much to say. I don't even know if anyone reads this stuff anymore.**

 **If you are, hi and hello there.**

 **How's your day been?**

 **...Wow, dude, same. Like, I wish I could be half as cool as you.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Took you long enough." Corvus chided as Jade walked in, her irritated expression a complete contrast to the happy panting from the doberman puppy she held, "Any longer and I would have assumed that you tried to run away, or something." He stood behind a chair Violet was sitting in, said girl eating a small snack at the table.

"Aww, you know me so well." Jade said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she strode into the room, dropping the dog onto Violet's lap, "One stinky mutt, as requested."

"Umm...Thanks." Was all Violet could bring herself to say, placing Fen onto the ground before patting his head, "Now that you're back, Hope was saying that you might have a map of the area?"

"...Yeah, I'll be right back." Jade muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets before stalking out of the room, eyes stuck to the ground.

"...Are we just going to ignore that, or…?"

"I assure you, it's nothing for you to worry about, my lady." Corvus insisted, watching as Violet tried to sneak some food under the table for the dog, "It's probably just a bad day for her."

"Yeah, I can get that." Violet muttered, no longer really listening as she fed Fen a piece of ham from her plate.

"If that dog leaves behind a brown bounty, I'm not going to pick it up." Hope muttered as she walked in, a tray of drinks in hand.

"...'brown bounty'?" Was all Corvus could manage, as if he were too scared to put the rest of his question out there.

"There's no real way for me to say poop without saying poop," Hope said, taking away Violet's empty plate, before placing a tall glass of what looked to be lemonade in front of her, "So I'm trying different words."

"Alliteration can be one's best friend." Violet grinned, taking a sip from her glass, only to have her lips pucker immediately, "Or, more often, one's worst nemesis."

"Still though, 'brown bounty'?" Corvus pushed once more, looking just as lost as he had been in the beginning.

"Would you rather me try something else, perhaps?" Hope offered, placing the tray down in favor of putting her hand under her chin, holding it up with her thumb and index fingers, "Maybe you'd prefer that I call it the 'fetid fecal matter'? Or maybe you would like 'mahogany manure' more."

"Personally, I'm quite fond of 'distastefully detestable defecation'." Violet added, taking another sip, only to make a face, "Jesus, is there any sugar in this, or it is straight lemon tears?"

"Sorry it took me so long," Jade said, breaking the odd air as she waltzed in, tossing what looked to be rolled up papers onto the table, "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much, I assure you." Corvus muttered, still mentally reeling from the exchange he'd just witnessed.

Jade began setting the papers up, Hope moving the tray in order for her to have more space. Jade gave nothing more than a curt nod and a weary expression, before finally putting the map down, "Put something down on the corners so it doesn't roll up into itself, would ya?" She muttered, tossing the rest of the papers onto the table.

While Corvus placed paperweights on each corner, Jade pulled a pen out, drawing a circle on what looked to be a mountain, "This is where we are, at the base of Mount. Cyngale."

"It's only now I realize that I've never seen a map of this place." Violet muttered, more to herself than anyone else, "Hold up, is that the ocean?"

"Yes, it's the Exorian ocean, but that's not important now." Jade muttered, before drawing a circle to the right of the mansion, "This here is Rochdale, east of here. And Penketh is down here, south of us."

"Okay, it helps to know where we've been and all," Violet said, elbows on the table and head resting on her hands, "But how does this help us in figuring out where Sutton is?"

"I'm getting to it, jeez." Jade grumbled, looking like she was ready to do more insulting, only to think twice when Corvus shot her a look, "Before we blew the place to hell-."

"YOU blew the place to hell."

"Didn't remember asking for an interruption." Jade shot back without skipping a beat, the venom in her tone nearly palpable, before clearing her throat, reaching for one of the papers she had tossed, "Anyway, as I was saying BEFORE someone decided to stop me, allow me to get back on topic. Before we left Penketh, I was able to grab a few documents."

Jade unrolled the paper before throwing it down on the table. It was titled "Drop off sites", with three names listed under it. Beneath that was what looked like some sort of calendar, like it was supposed to represent some sort of schedule.

At the very bottom, Violet could barely make it out, but she was sure that something was written. The handwriting looked like borderline chicken scratch, as if someone was in a hurry to write the word down. What did it say? Tene...Tenebri...

"Drop off site?" Hope read aloud, voice rustling Violet from her thoughts. She looked over to Hope, who had been looking over the map in deep thought, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Honestly, I don't really know." Jade admitted, "But I'm going to assume that, with how this paper looks and how they did like going North of Penketh, these towns are at least worth looking into."

Violet didn't notice how Jade shot Corvus a look, almost challenging him to say otherwise, to which he scoffed, taking a step back to avoid the tired puppy on the ground.

"First and foremost, there's Tarrin," Jade went on, drawing a circle north of the mountain, "It's Northwest of Penketh. Well, a lot more North than West, but you get the gist. Out of all the locations, Tarrin is the closest to us."

"How long do you think it would take for us to get there?" Corvus asked.

"It's been a while since I've last been there, but…" Jade muttered, holding a hand under her chin as she thought it over, "I'd say maybe a full day of travel, from here?"

"...Alright, what else you got?" Violet finally said to break the silence. It always felt weird when someone stopped talking and no one else moved or spoke. It felt too awkward.

What she didn't catch, however, was the way that Jade shot a side glance to Hope, the nervous sweat on her brow, or the way that her hand had chosen to fall to her side and fidget like mad.

"Another possibility is Keldren," Jade went on, drawing a circle near the ocean, before drawing a curved line between the place and the ocean, "Only problem is that Keldren is a little more out of the way, on Aerglo's edge."

"Aerglo's edge?" Hope questioned.

"Yeah, that's the name of the cliff that over looks the Exorian ocean." Jade muttered, before drawing a red dotted line from Penketh to Keldren, "There's only one route that I know they take to and from Keldren though, and since it's so out of the way, I doubt that they'd be there."

"And what's the route they take to get to Tarrin?" Corvus asked, peering down at the map, looking like a teacher correcting homework over a student's shoulder.

Jade drew another red dotted line from Penketh to Tarrin, "This route, while it usually takes longer, goes around the mountain. It cuts right between where we are and Rochdale, actually. Now that I think about it, it comes pretty close to the manor."

Violet couldn't help but feel like she was nodding off, just a bit. This was slowly going from an important discussion to what felt like a lecture from one of her tutors.

"Pulling us back to the subject, here." Hope muttered, looking over the map, "Where's the last place?"  
"Lindow." Jade circled a point to the top left of Tarrin, "I know that, way back when, they had a lot of stuff being sent there. Apparently, they'd go through Tarrin to get to Lindow, like it was a sort of pit stop."

"You'd think that it's quicker to go through the mountain instead of around it." Violet commented, watching as Fen grew curious, sniffing at the ends of the map that hung over the table.

"Too difficult for them." Jade countered, making a face as she pushed the puppy back under the table with her foot, "they travel in large groups, with lots of crap to move. Really isn't ideal to be moving all of that up a mountain."

"So, they're lazy." Violet stated, as if it were at the top of a sudden epiphany she just had.

"...Yeah, sure, why not."

"It's perfect," Corvus muttered, tracing his fingers over the circle Jade had drawn, looking like he hadn't heard any part of that whole exchange, "Far enough not to look suspicious, with a pitstop in between."

"I'm telling you, it isn't Lindow." Jade sighed, looking the map over once more, "If anything, Tarrin would be the best bet. At the very least, it would be a great starting point."

"Why are you insisting that it can't be Lindow?" Hope asked, "Corvus' is right, it does seem to be the most optimal place."

"Maybe it's because there was a huge fire about 20 years ago?" Jade enunciated slowly, her tone as condescending as possible, "You know, 'The Great Lindow Blaze'? Apparently, the fires raged on for weeks. I've seen it for myself, there's nothing left but ashes and rubble."

"Why wasn't this brought up earlier?" Corvus grumbled, giving Jade a nasty look, "

"It's not my fault you know nothing of the surface," Jade shot right back, scowling at him as she folded her arms over her chest, "Honestly, did you skip out on grade school or something? This is common knowledge, I'm sure even street rats and beggars know about it! So SORRY for assuming that you were aware of something that wasn't all about you!"

"We're just saying that it isn't really fair to call us dumb when you didn't give us all the information," Hope cut in, "Even if you assumed it to be 'common knowledge'."

"...Whatever," Jade muttered, dropping the whole topic the moment Hope dropped her own two senses in. She turned to Violet, ignoring any further comments from the other two, "What do you think we should be doing then? I mean, we're following your lead on this."

"...Just let me make sure I understand this," Violet muttered, holding her forehead. This sudden pressure to choose was hitting her faster than she thought it would, "Tarrin is closest, Keldren is there but kinda out of the way, and Lindow is an ash heap."

"Yes."

"And you're saying that Tarrin is our best bet?"

"Yes."

"...I say we check out Tarrin and Lindow." Violet voiced, "I mean, from here, Tarrin isn't too far. We go there first, scope the place out, and if we find nothing, we go to Lindow and look around."

"Sounds like a plan." Hope agreed.

"Be my guest," Jade muttered, "The path itself is pretty easy. Just curve around the mountain base, and head North once you get to Tarrin. Unless, you guys suddenly know this region better than I do and think that this guy we're hunting could end up somewhere else?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask," Hope said, pointing to a huge section of the top right of the map, a whole section that looked to be whited out, "What's all of this? Are we sure that Sutton didn't run off to...wherever that is?"

"That's the Kingdom of Hirane," Jade said, Shading in the top right, stopping at the dividing line, "It's a very...seclusive place. No one can get in or out, so I seriously doubt that he would have gone there."

Before Violet could add something useful, she felt something fluffy drop on her foot, taking a moment to glance under the table, only to hold back a squeal.

Dogs really were too cute for this sinful plane of existence.

"Alright, no more questions, perfect." Jade grinned, happily ignoring Corvus' raised hand, instead opting to collect the papers.

"Wow, that was a lot easier to narrow down than I thought it would be." Violet said, stretching in her chair, "You guys wanna do this again, next week maybe?"

"I hope you three realize that this is all hinging on our guess that Sutton was with Greyson and the Denholm hunters." Jade voiced absentmindedly, cleaning up the map without another care in the world.

Taking the now dead silent room as a cue to leave, Jade walked out of the room, "If you guys still decide to go, tell me, would ya? I look forward to a whole 'however long you guys are away' to myself."

"As if we'd allow you to stay here like some sort of scorned pet." Corvus said, his tone so sickly sweet it couldn't be anything but sarcasm, "We'll bring you along, of course."

"Of course." Jade grumbled to herself, walking down the hallway "Yay."

It took a little more time for the information to Violet's heart fell, "Shit, she's right." She muttered, hands moving to hold her head, "What are we supposed to do now!?"

"Honestly, it's not like we have any other leads right now." Hope shrugged, seemingly content with what had been done, "This is more than I thought we'd get, actually."

"Something we agree on." Corvus said, eyes still watching the hallway Jade had disappeared into, only to shake his head, "It's nothing to worry about, my lady. I assure you."

"Besides, just because we don't find him doesn't mean we won't pick up clues and whatnot." Hope added, moving to take Violet's drained cup, "We'll track him down, this is just a rough start, is all."

When Violet's hunched over form didn't move, Hope casted Corvus a worried look, to which he cleared his throat, "My lady, are you alright? It's nothing to break down over, we assure you."

Violet murmured something under her breath, the two sharing another look, before Hope bent down closer, "Sorry, what was that?"

"Don't you mean...An iffy-introduction?"

"Words could not describe how Corvus felt in that moment, seeing Violet whip her head back to grin at Hope, "Or maybe you'd prefer a crude conception? No, I'm stopping myself there, that one was too much of a stretch."

"...Unbelievable." Corvus muttered, walking out of the room, ignoring the roars of laughter coming from the dining room.

What a Kuro-like thing to do.

* * *

Blythe would have given anything to be anywhere but here.

But no, here she was: facing the only two people she'd ever feared in her life, standing next to the one person she hated the most.

This situation really couldn't get any worse from here.

"So, we've heard reports from secondary sources of what happened in Penketh." A feminine voice spoke, tone full of annoyance. It whipped Blythe out of her mind, instead focusing her eyes on the two thrones before them, the only thing illuminated in the dark room, "I must say, I for one, am not impressed."

"Of course, regardless, we'd like to hear a first hand retelling of the event." The other voice added, deeper and richer than the first, "And we couldn't think of anyone better to ask than you. Blythe Lee Denholm, the leader of our dear Denholm hunters?"

Blythe's nose twitched, eyebrows narrowing. If these two really did hear any reports, than there was no doubt in her mind that these two knew exactly what they were doing.

"Ah, yes, your siblings really are something, aren't they?" The feminine voice snickered, her voice filled with coy malice.

Blythe took a moment to collect herself, "My lady, Taylor Tenebris," She spoke, fist shaking at her side, "My lord, Tyler Tenebris. If I may begin my report?"

"You may." The first voice, Taylor, replied, reclining in her chair.

"Go on." The second, Tyler, shrugged.

"As you know, the Denholm's have been subservient to the Tenebris clan ever since you both came to power." Blythe started, fingers cracking her knuckles behind her back, "As such, our only purpose is to serve as your designated demon hunters."

"Yes, we don't require a recap." Taylor yawned, "If you could move it on, that would be perfect."

"There was a demon that we'd been having trouble with for the past week or so." Blythe went on, teeth feeling as if they'd break against each other with the force she was pressing them together, "We were able to trap it within Penketh, but because of a few...extra unknown variables...The situation quickly became messy."

"Messy?" Cynthia suddenly spoke up, before throwing her head back, cackling madly, "Maybe we weren't in the same Penketh, but when I got there to pick your charred ass up, the place was in ruins! I mean, Denholm castle was on freaking fire! You might want to try 'large display of disarray' instead of 'messy'."

Cynthai patted Blythe on the back, as if her words were helpful instead of a total detriment. Blythe stood there, eyes wide and fists clenched.

God knew how badly she wanted to lay Cynthia out right now.

"Oh?" Taylor leaned forward, seemingly suddenly interested. All the while, Tyler's elbow stood on the armrest of his throne, resting his head on two fingers as he watched silently, "In that case, since Blythe seems to enjoy beating around the bush, what do you know, sweet Cynthia?"

"Aww, Taylor, you flatter me!" Cynthia giggled, before placing a finger on her chin, "All I know is that there were three demons

"How do you know this?" Blythe demanded.

"Wait your turn to speak, Blythe." Taylor said, cutting her off with a wave of her hand, "Sorry, please go on."

"Okay, well," Cynthia murmured, placing her hand under her chin, before snapping her fingers, "Long story short, when I got there, everything had gone to complete and utter shit!"

Blythe didn't care that Cynthia was the Tenebris' right hand woman, nor did she care that Cynthia was apparently one of the most skilled killers to ever escape Hirane.

One day, and one day soon, Blythe was going to kill her.

"Calm down, Denholm." She heard Tyler mutter, his voice calm and collected, almost bored, "I can see the murder in your eyes from here."

"Forgive me, my lord." Blythe managed to spit out.

Those two twins were on her list too, of course. Cynthia was just much higher than they were at the moment.

"Is there anything else that you'd like to report, Cynthia?" Talyor asked.

"Nope!" Cynthia chirped, "We are ready for Blythe's sentencing, my lord and lady!"

"It would seem as if we have heard and seen all we need." Tyler muttered.

"But my lord, my lady," Blythe interjected, slowly beginning to panic, "Please, allow me to further explain myself!"

This was an outrage! She didn't even get to explain herself, explain that there was someone out there that smell of a demon but also held a blinding light. She didn't even get to bring up that one demon that had put her to sleep, forcing her to live through her worst nightmares.

That one was at the top of her shit list, currently. Hell, all four of them were, but that one specific demon, the one with the cold, soulless cerulean eyes…

She was going to pay.

"There's no need," Taylor said, cutting Blythe's thoughts off with a single wave of her hand, "We have enough to make out choice. Wouldn't you agree, Tyler?"

The boy nodded, his eyes locking with something in the shadows of the dark room, "You may come out now. Please, introduce yourself."

Blythe looked around, utterly confused, before she felt it. Dark shivers rolled down her spine, the air grew cold. Her body was frozen solid, alarm signals going off. No, it couldn't be, even if there was one in here, she would have sensed it sooner...

"Oh, hello there, stranger!"

Blythe turned around, eyes locking with the two golden orbs staring right back, the chills running down her spine growing colder.

She could hear its footsteps as it came closer, each click of its shoes echoing in the large dark room. Neither Taylor or Tyler seemed fazed as it got closer, the two of them looking almost bored at this point.

Blythe took in this man's messy black hair, golden eyes framed by a pair of glasses. His dark suit and white gloves made him look like a professional, as if the ego this guy had on him didn't already do that well.  
"Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. You may call me Claude. Claude Faustus. I'm here to offer my assistance."

* * *

 **Don't you hate it when you dab so hard your arms question their existence and decide to revolt against you?**

 **...Yeah, college is weird.**

 **So, hope you guys enjoyed and all that.**

 **Bai.**


	15. His Fair Lady, Mentally Messy

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **God, I keep telling myself that I'm going to finish this, and then I go over my writing notes and ideas and whatnot... And THEN I end up drowning in all of this stuff cause I really did put a lot more thought into this that I thought I did.**

 **Like, I'm talking, around three composition books filled. College Ruled. Green.**

 **Cause that's all important information for you guys to know.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

At the first sign of daybreak, Corvus was already out and about, preparing for the day. He had just finished making and packing the food, moving on to make plans for the coach and arrival time. He made a mental note to somehow (most likely illegally) acquire a coach at some point.

He waited outside for the horses, glancing back down at the pocket watch in his hands. They were five minutes late. Than again, he couldn't really blame them; the mansion was on the side of a rather treacherous mountain.

His plans were put on hold when something flew out the third story window.

Corvus blinked, as if that would help him comprehend what had just happened, only to watch as Jade hurled herself out the same window, "THIS DOG HAS A DEATH WISH! I JUST NEED TO GIVE IT A BATH, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR!?"

Corvus sighed, shaking his head. Ever since Jade and Hope had their...talk, the shapeshifter had seemed to be a bit more compliant.

No, that wasn't the right word.

Jade was more cautious, fearful almost. She'd looking Hope over when she thought that no one else was looking, as if trying to mentally dissect her. She resembled a cornered animal almost, like she was looking for an opening to either run or bite.

He wanted to know why that was, but Hope was unrelenting. "It's none of your business," she'd say, "I have it under control. Don't worry about it," she'd insist.

He looked down at the sound of shattering glass, scowling when he dusted the glass of his pocket watch off of his gloves, "Bother, this was a new one, too." He muttered to himself, before tucking the broken mechanism into his pocket.

He stood there, breathing in deeply as he attempted to control his nerves. It was all a bother, really; this whole situation. It never would have happened had he not had just-

No, he shook his head, halting the thoughts. Kuro would have been irritated with that line of thought, he knew it. He just had to tough it out. Soon enough, he'd get Kuro back. He'd be able to right the wrongs he had committed, and then he could fulfill his promise.

The two of them could be happy.

He just had to wait.

* * *

"It's time to wake up, my lady!"

Violet groaned, pulling the blankets up and over her head, "Five minutes. Please, just five more minutes?"

Her answer was a sudden intrusion of more light in her room, causing her to hiss and pull more blanket over her face, "That's what you asked for ten minutes ago, and you've yet to get up!"

"Hope, pleeeeeeaaaase." Violet groaned, only to yelp as the sheets were ripped off of her.

Hope stood there with a stern expression, throwing her blankets to the ground "It's already late! If you're not ready to go before the coach gets here, we'll be behind schedule!" She chided, hands on her hips, "That's ignoring that fit that Corvus will most likely throw. Damn controlling perfectionist."

Violet groaned, before rolling/flopping off of the bed, face planting into the carpet on the floor, "...Leave me here?"

Hope shook her head, before picking the smaller girl up, "Someone still isn't a morning person, huh?" Hope said, laughing to herself before helping Violet to stand, "Now, I have your outfit laid out for you."

Violet groaned, looking over to the outfit on her bed, before looking to Hope sheepishly, "Help me?"

Hope seemed to have a moment of hesitation, as if contemplating something, before shaking her head, "You're a big girl. I'm sure that you can do it yourself, even if you're tired."

Hope couldn't help but laugh as the girl stuck her tongue out, before moving to fix and tidy up her room, "Thank god that we went out to get new outfits," Violet muttered, pulling her clothing on, "If I had to wear dresses for the rest of my life, I'd likely go mad."

"I don't doubt you for a moment, my lady," Hope murmured, more to herself than Violet as she focused on keeping the curtains held back.

Once she was done, she moved to Violet's dresser, fixing and cleaning up the clothing inside, before Violet interrupted her with a question, "How does it look on me?"

Hope turned to the girl, stifling a laugh. Violet had somehow managed to put everything on wrong, "First off, I don't think that this vest is supposed to be on backwards," Hope started, before pulling it off, before laughing again, "Your collar isn't supposed to be two different heights either."

"Don't judge me," Violet yawned into her sleeve, "I asked for help for a reason. I'm half awake, and I never work at full capacity."

"Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you're not inept or anything." Hope teased, before moving forth to fix her outfit, "At least you got the pants on right."

"Thank you for noticing. I tried really hard with those." Hope couldn't help but giggle at Violet's deadpan tone, the sarcasm almost palpable, "If I managed to mess that up, then I've gone from half awake to possibly deranged."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen," Hope grinned, before standing back, "So? What do you think?"

Violet looked at her mirror, tugging at her open brown vest, before moving to fiddle with the buttons on her blouse, "It isn't a dress, so I love it."  
"I'm happy to see that, Violet." Hope grinned, her hand moving forward to ruffle her hair, before stopping herself. She shook her head, pulling her hand back before Violet could notice.

Violet turned to Hope, her hands pulling at the rat's nest on her head, "Hey, Hope?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you help me with my hair?"

Hope stopped for a second, her brain unable to compute what Violet had just asked of her. Her senses were replaced with nostalgia, head growing heavy.

She was so lost in thought, she failed to notice the confused expression on Violet's face, "Umm… Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Hope muttered, before shaking herself out of it, "Of course I am. Forgive me."

"Then why are you crying?"

Hope's eyes widened, a hand reaching up to touch her face. Sure enough, her fingers were wet, "It's nothing, I assure you." Hope insisted, shaking her head, "Something must have gotten into my eye."

Violet nodded, seeming to understand all she needed to, taking a seat at the stool in front of her vanity, "I know little to nothing when it comes to hairstyles, so you can do whatever you want with it, okay?"

Hope nodded, an almost bittersweet smile crossing her face, "If that's what you wish, my lady."

* * *

"It took you two long enough," Corvus muttered, watching as Hope and Jade finally walked out of the manor, both of them carrying a number of bags with them.

He stood next to the coach, having had finished hitching horses to the carriage, "What took so long?"

"Violet didn't want to leave Fen here by himself," Jade scowled, all but throwing the bags onto the coach, dusting off her hands, "She's still in there making sure that it has enough food and water to make it and what not."

"A cat would not have needed such care." Corvus couldn't help but scowl, unintentionally agreeing with the shapeshifter. He then turned to Hope, "And what's your excuse, Vanth?"

"I got lost in thought," Hope muttered, shooting Corvus a pointed look, "And don't call me that."

Before anyone could shoot back any type of retort, the door to the manor was slammed shut, Violet standing at the top of the stairs with her hands on her hips and a giant smile on her face, "And we're off!"

Her vest looked a little too big, but it didn't seem to stop her. Her blouse was a light shade of purple, with shorts a dark blue, almost black. Over her shoulder was her special satchel, ruby ring still on her finger. She seemed very pleased with her braided pigtails, if the way she shook her head around and giggled was anything to go off of.

"My lady, we don't have time for this," Corvus chided, before opening the door for her, ushering her inside, "At this rate, we'll arrive at Tarrin just after sunset."

"I don't see why you're so antsy," Violet teased, Hope and Jade also climbing into the carriage, "I mean, we'll get there eventually, and isn't the journey the important part?"

"That's what they tell children that don't know patience." Jade muttered to herself, sitting across from Hope and Violet, arms crossed over her chest as she huffed.

"Now now, no fighting back there, you three." Corvus chided, before hopping up onto the driver's seat, horse reins in hand, "We have a long trip ahead of us. I suggest that you all get comfortable back there, this is going to take a while."

"Road trip!" Violet squeaked, fist thrown up into the air as the carriage was thrown into motion.

"Someone's seriously enthusiastic." Jade muttered, looking skeptical.

"It's either I'm super enthusiastic or I think too hard about how nothing in life matters!" Violet said, smile suddenly looking very forced, "Cause, let's face it, nothing we do matters, and no one cares!"

Jade's eyes widened, before she rubbed the back of her head, "Well… That took some turn."

"What are you talking about?" Violet asked, confused.

"What?"

"Exactly."

"...I'm not ever going to bother anymore, this is getting stupid." Jade muttered, before looking out the window, effectively ending the conversation.

The three sat in relative silence for a bit, none of them really moving to break it.

Jade sat by herself on her side of the coach, scoffing out the window before lying down on the plush seats. It wasn't like she was stealing someone else's seat, and even if she was, they could fuck right off for all she cared.

Violet took to looking out the window, eyes catching onto every different color and shape. She remembered back before… All of this. She never got to leave the manor, and when she did, it was normally to go right outside.

Hell, she had no idea that Rochdale was so close, much less that Rochdale was a place.

As much as she disliked the quiet, her mind didn't seem to comprehend the absence of noise, too busy trying to watch and memorize all she could see from inside the coach.

Surprisingly, it was Hope that couldn't seem to sit still. She fidgeted, constantly looking over at Jade's face of irritation and Violet's wonder-filled expression. Neither could quell the sudden but powerful question that currently weighed her down.

Jade shot her a look, as if sensing the Hope's inner turmoil, only to go back to staring at the roof of the coach. She wouldn't be of any help, and Jade would be damned if she didn't make that clear.

Finally, Hope shook her head, before turning to Violet, "My lady, might I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so intent on hunting these men down?"

Just like that, the mood turned from comfortable to dreadfully awkward. It didn't matter that she wasn't technically included in the conversation, it didn't stop Jade's posture from stiffening a bit too quickly.

Violet took a moment to compose herself, "I wanted to rid the world of my family's influence," She said, voice sounding dull, automated almost, "Honestly, that hard part is already done. I just need to… scrub out the spots I missed."

"But, you do realize what happens when your wish is granted, right?" Hope asked, as if prompting a specific answer, "I mean, Corvus did make it obvious as to what happens when the deal has been fulfilled?"

"I get to make sure that no one gets hurt like that ever again." Violet said, expression turning hard, cold almost.

Jade seemed to slowly but surely grow uncomfortable with the situation, looking around for an escape or way out. Of course, opening the door and simply jumping out wasn't exactly off the table… Or was it?

Either way, the prospect of rolling out the door and throwing the reins to mother nature was slowly but surely becoming more alluring.

Hope, seemingly unhappy with that answer, continued to push, "That's not what I meant-."

"I know what I agreed to," Violet murmured, cutting Hope off as she turned her gaze out the window, watching as the trees whipped by, "I don't need you to tell me or warn me of anything, Hope. Really, I'm not some stupid kid."

With that statement, the carriage was (understandably) left in silence.

Violet didn't know how long she'd gone without speaking, instead watching the scenery go from rocky mountain top to a flatter plane of grass. Not that it mattered, the world outside seemed to have suddenly lost color, all vibrancy gone.

She would have ripped open the door and stormed out, but being how they were in a coach, that didn't really seem like a viable option. This left her to dramatically pout, Violet forced herself to be content with watching the scenery from her seat, giving herself time to calm down.

She wasn't mad at Hope, she was angry with the assumption. She wasn't some stupid kid; she knew what she agreed to when she did. She knew, even with her mind being as muddled as it was at the time, what this deal implied.

She wasn't an idiot. Hell, she had read up on deals made with devils in her free time. It was the only other thing available in her library besides all the fake texts and writings of the cult. Faustian Contracts, the mark, all of it.

She twisted the ring around her finger, looking down every now and then to make sure it was still there. She wasn't stupid, she kept repeating to herself. Her decision was hers to make, like hell she was going to let someone tell her it was the wrong one to make.

… But what if it was wrong?

Nope, none of that. She pushed that thought aside. She didn't want to think about it, not right now. Even if, on some off chance, it was wrong to (accidentally) summon a demon and make a deal in order to kill three specific people, it wasn't like she could change the past.

… Why did that thought do nothing to help pacify her mind?

 ** _It's not like your mind isn't already at war with itself._**

 _Agreed, I am the worst when it comes to agreeing with myself. Wouldn't you agree?_

 ** _Ah, yes, I would. Thank you for that clarification, me._**

 _Certainly._

She wasn't sure how to feel about knowing this kind of mental conversation was normal, but at the moment, she really didn't care.

With that in mind, she leaned back into the seat a bit, eyes still locked on the glass, her window into the outside world.

Hell, she didn't even notice Hope trying to get her attention. She nearly grabbed and snapped Hope's wrist when Hope's hand came down on her shoulder. Granted, she knew that she didn't have enough strength to do that, but it was the thought that made her feel bad ass.

 _ **Fuck yeah, no one said we can't break wrists.**_

 _ **…You can't break wrists?**_

 _ **I can't break wrists?**_

 _ **Fuck it.**_

"Yes, Hope?" Violet murmured, doing her best to block out her thoughts.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for… earlier. I didn't mean to offend you in anyway." Hope murmured, her gaze held with Violet's forehead rather than her eyes, "I just wanted to… I wanted to know."

"And now you do." Violet muttered, wincing at how cold and venomous she sounded, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

"There's no need to worry," Hope said, a small smile gracing her face as she did her best to curtsey/bow in her seated position, "I'm happy that you've chosen to forgive me, my lady."

"Oh, stop it, you." Violet couldn't help but giggle, "All of it is going to go straight to my ego, you know. I'm going to start walking around like some pompous rooster soon, watch."

"If you wish to have me stop calling you that, I can, my lady." Hope couldn't help but laugh, the smile on her face evident.

"Nope, too late, my ego loves it." Violet said, placing the back of her hand dramatically against her forehead, throwing herself back to add to the effect, "It's too late, my ego has run rampant. Look at what you've done, Hope. Are you proud of yourself?"

Hope couldn't stifle her laugh, moving to wip an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye, "Oh, forgive me, my lady! I never meant for such a horrific end! Curse our modern social standards and classes, for I am bound by them to address you as such!"

"Will you two keep it down?" Jade spat, moving her arm off her face in order to glare them both down, "Some of us are trying to take a nap here."

"Alas, that is not possible!" Violet shouted, suddenly standing up from her seat, striking the most dramatic pose known to man, "Fore my ego cannot allow you to slumber until you've thoroughly addressed me as your one and only lady!"

Jade gave her a deadpan look, eyes moving to Hope in order to convey her irritation, when the coach rattled about. Whether if it was because of a stray ran over rock or Corvus attempting to quiet them, none of the three knew. All that was positive was that, thanks to the sudden rock and Violet's pose, Violet had been thrown right at Jade, the two bouncing off the wall and onto the ground.

"What the absolute fuck, De Angelus!?" Jade managed to sputter out, attempting to pull herself up, only to have Violet rearrange herself on her chest, sitting down cross-legged on the shapeshifter.

"No! You are not allowed to move until you've claimed me as your lord and god!" Violet said, voice far past bombastic at this point, "Go on, shout of how I am glorious! I wish for the heavens above and hell below to hear of my praise!"

Jade only growled, doing her best to push the younger girl off, only to have the coach bounce once more. Jade let out a wheeze, Violet's body weight bouncing on her chest for a solid five seconds of pure agony.

Hope didn't bother offering any sort of help, instead taking to laughing like a madman at the display, now wiping away real tears of joy, "If you'd like advice, I'd recommend seeing if you can turn into a chair."

"Not. Helping." Jade growled, finally prying Violet off of her.

"Thou wisheth to oppose my will!?" Violet said, the joke slowly but surely turning stale at this point, "Heathen!"

Before Violet could do much else, she felt cold fingertips on her forehead, her mind suddenly going blank.

"Sleep."

* * *

Hope, deciding that enough was enough, was quick to place her fingers against Violet's forehead, "Sleep." She commanded. She had meant for Violet to slowly but surely grow tired. She had meant for Violet to slowly come back and sit down, before allowing her eyes to close and breathing to slow.

So, when Violet's body slumped over and sprawled out on the floor of the coach, Hope was just a bit surprised.

"...Thanks?" Jade murmured, looking down at the sleeping girl in disbelief. Her mind couldn't help but reel a bit, unsure if the recent events had really happened or not.

"Didn't mean for her to just collapse," Hope murmured, more to herself than anyone else as she moved to pick Violet up. After a lot of maneuvering and whatnot, she finally had Violet secured as best as she could.

"That'll have to do, for now." Violet murmured, laying Violet down on the long bench, her head resting on Hope's lap.

Jade couldn't help but give the two a look, scoffing when Hope noticed, "Why do you baby her so much?"

"I don't." Was Hope's curt answer, ignoring how her hand had moved up to brush the hair out of Violet's face, "Okay, so maybe I do, a little. Sometimes."

"Yeah, sometimes." Jade muttered, leaning back on her side of the coach, eyeing Violet like she was the bane of her existence, "God, that kid is something else."

"You have no idea." Hope couldn't help but agree, a knowing smile on her face.

"...I don't see why you're so devoted to her," Jade muttered, sitting up to pull her knees close, holding them closer with her arms as she put her chin on her knees, "I mean, the Crow I get, he's on contract with her. But you… You have no reason."

"I have a reason." Was Hope's curt answer.

"Whatever," Jade grumbled, turning her head to go back to looking out the window. One hand came up to rub her forehead, pinching the bridge of her nose as she did so, "Fuck, I have the mother of all headaches right now."

"Do you want me to help? Hope asked, fingers flexing, "If you'd like, I could try and-."

"Don't you DARE FUCKING TOUCH ME!" Jade shouted, nearly throwing herself against the back of the coach, eyes wide like a cornered animal.

Hope couldn't help but jolt back, surprised by the sudden change in Jade. The two eyed each other, one looking confused while the other sized up, before Jade finally managed to crack a forced grin, "I mean, if you accidentally induce comas, I really don't want to know what happens when you try to alleviate headaches."

"I'm getting better at controlling it," Hope muttered, the sudden jovial mood doing nothing to alleviate the heavy air, "At least, I think I am."

"Yeah, good for you." Jade muttered, turning her head back down on her knees, effectively cutting off the conversation.

Hope sighed, trying to read Jade's reflection in the glass to no avail. She understood Jade's stance, she wouldn't want anyone in her head either, but Jade didn't get that choice.

It would make sense of Jade to resent her, Hope concluded, allowing that to be that.

* * *

A sudden jostling of the coach threw Violet back into reality. Huh, how long had she been asleep? If the darkness outside was indication, Violet was pretty sure that she had slept the day away.

She pulled herself up, only then realizing that she had been using a sleeping Hope's lap as a pillow. Across from them, Jade also slept, curled up in the corner of the coach with one hand over her head, the other holding her legs close.

Weird way to fall asleep, but Violet wasn't really one to speak.

Her head flicked towards the door when it was opened, Corvus standing outside, "We've arrived, my lady."

For some reason, Violet almost snickered at the title, before accepting Corvus' hand. He helped her out of the coach, Violet's eyes doing their best to adjust to the scarce light around them.

"It's a lot bigger than Rochdale," Violet murmured, squinting at the small lanterns.

They had parked the coach right outside what Violet assumed to be the town's borders, if the rather low wooden fence was anything to go off of. It had a similar look to Penketh, now that Violet thought about it. There were a lot of homes, but they all seemed to be built around a temple-like structure.

"What is that?" Violet couldn't help but wonder aloud, her squinting doing little to nothing to help her see.

"Oh fuck, they finished building it," Jade muttered from behind them, Violet turning around just in time to see Jade stumble out of the coach, nearly tripping over the extended step, "Granted, none of us really wanted to walk in and halt progress. Being how this town is INFESTED with Radicals."

At that word, Corvus' eyes widened, turning to give Jade a questioning look, "You can't be serious…"

"Oh, but I can." Jade grumbled, before moving to stand in front of them. She gave a mock bow, her expression dead of emotion, "This town is the main home to the most hostile known beings to our kind."

"And that would be?" Violet asked, still confused as hell. What could be so harmful to demons?

"Welcome to Tarrin," Jade said, nearly spitting the words out as she said them, "Home to the worst possible kind of humans: Christians."

* * *

 **I can't wait for the offended Christians to pop up. Do I need to be worried? I don't think anyone really reads this anymore. I'm honestly just posting this stuff up so I can give myself closure TBH. Not to say I don't appreciate you guys reading/reviewing, but I need to see this through to the end is all.**

 **While I'm on the subject, I can't wait for the day that I make it big somehow and someone close to me is going to expose this fanfiction account to the world.**

 **I'm calling it, if I ever make it big, in any shape, way or form, someone's going to unbury all of this. All of the typos I tried to fix, the broken grammar, the weird and almost unfollowable plotlines that I tried to intricately lay out. Someone's going to unearth it all and I'm going to go into a spiritual coma.**

 **That thought haunts me at night.**

 **...So with that said, hope you all enjoyed, cya next chappie!**

 **Bai bai!**


	16. His Fair Lady, Welcomed to Tarrin!

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **...Balhp.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet squinted, making out a thin outline of the church in the middle of the town. She couldn't help but whistle at the size of the thing. Even from far away, she could see that the structure took up at least half of the whole perimeter of the town.

"So…" She muttered, not liking the dark silence that had decided to take over the air, "Are we going in, or… ?"

"Do we have much of a choice?" Jade groaned, straightening herself up as best as she could before marching over to the town, "You want to find your guy, right?"

"Of course."

"Then we have to look through this town." Jade muttered, making a face at the very thought, "Thankfully, the town isn't too big, but that's not the issue here."

"What are you trying to say?" Corvus pushed, unable to pry his eyes off of the church. Even from this far away, he couldn't help but get a headache from how bright the building looked.

Disgusting.

"Think about it, if I were some human that heard my friends are being killed off, and that demons were most likely involved, where would be the safest place to hide from an unholy threat?" Jade asked, gesturing to the church in the distance, "If he's here, I'm willing to bet that he's going to be hiding out in there."

"...So you're saying that someone is going to have to search the church?" Violet said aloud, making sure that her fractured brain had pieced it all together properly.

"Yep." Jade said, a violent shudder making its way down her spine, "And I, for one, am not going to volunteer."

Violet was about to ask, only to quickly shut herself up. Of course Jade didn't want to go in. It was a fucking church.

This led to the many questions Violet had. What would happen if Jade stepped into the church? Hell, what would happen if any demon stepped into the church? Would they explode once they step over the line? Would they get affected just by standing too close to the church? What would holy water do to their skin?

...That was an oddly specific question.

Huh.

"I'll check out the church," Violet decided, voicing the fairly obvious option, "You guys can look around the outskirts of the town, maybe?"

"As long as I'm as far from that thing as possible," Jade spat, before throwing her hand towards the coach, "What do we do with this?"

"I say we just leave it here," Corvus murmured, looking the horses over, "Hope can go ahead and leave the horses somewhere, but since there doesn't seem to be a lot of foot traffic in and out, I doubt that it'll be stolen."

"And we don't want them to hold the coach because…?" Violet asked, feeling like she was missing something important.

"If we need to make a quick break for it, I'd hate to have to convince one of them to return it to us. The horses we don't really have a choice with, and if worse comes to worse, we ditch the coach entirely." Jade muttered, "The less interaction, the better. Trust me on that."

Violet wanted to speak up, suggest that they all couldn't be that bad, only to stop. Not only did she doubt her words would have any effect on the demons, but she was quick to remember how her own family cult had been.

Maybe, in this case, they were right.

"With that settled," Corvus muttered, walking over to open the coach door, "I'll wake Hope. Shall we depart shortly?"  
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Jade grumbled.

"Well, isn't someone just a ray of sunshine?" Violet couldn't help but tease, poking Jade's cheek.

"The sooner I go, the sooner I can leave." Jade growled lightly, glaring Violet down but not daring to stop her. She didn't have to turn around to know that Corvus was watching her closely, holes being burned into the back of her neck from his gaze.

"At least you're somewhat optimistic." Violet muttered, before grabbing Jade's wrist, pulling her along as she marched down the hill, "Come on, whatcha waiting for? As you said, the sooner we go in, the sooner we come out!"

"Hey!" Jade shouted, looking like a child being dragged to the dentist. Not that the thought stopped Violet for a second, a sort of glee determination present on her face.

She didn't notice their apprehension as they got closer, nor did she notice Jade trying to rip her wrist out of Violet's hand. She was so close, one more guy, and then…

She shook her head, no need to dwell on it. The end was near, and like hell was she going to extend the wait.

* * *

"Hi there, and welcome to Tarrin! You four look new, and lucky for you, we LOVE newcomers! How can we be of assistance today?"

No matter how hard Violet tried, she couldn't help but be a bit off-put by this woman's smile.

What they couldn't see from their vantage point was that the only opening into the town had a sort of booth set up next to it. Once they got closer, they realized the truth too little too late.

A lady sat on a stool in the booth, hands folded over her lap, smile stretched out and over her face. She wore a white tunic-like dress, but Jade would argue that it was a glorified bathrobe and nothing more. Violet couldn't help but go blind at the amount of white, gold and silver the woman was wearing.

Hell, she was sure that there was more light coming off of her than their sorry excuses for lanterns.

"Hi, we're here to, umm…Ah…" Violet started, only to have her train of thought derail in seconds.

"We're here to learn more about you teachings." Corvus was quick to speak up, gesturing to Jade, "You see, my… niece here has been having a hard time."

"Leave me out of this bullshit." Jade spat, glaring Corvus down.

"As you can see," Hope added, doing her best not to look too smug, "She isn't exactly… open to the idea of trying new religions out."

"And don't even get her started with this one." Corvus added, fighting to keep the snicker out of his voice, "So, forgive us if she doesn't seem the most… cordial."

"I'll kill you both." Jade muttered under her breath.

"Ah, not to worry, a lot of newcomers begin like that!" the lady said, waving it off, her smile nearly blinding, "If you'd like, I could call someone over to escort you to the church!"

"While that would be nice," Violet added in, hoping and praying to whoever would listen that she didn't fuck this whole thing up, "My sister here isn't really keen on jumping right into new things."

Jade shot Violet a dirty look, "You've got to be fucking me-."

"So, maybe I could go and check out the church first?" Violet said, pushing past Jade's crude comment. She then leaned in, holding up her hand to block her mouth from the others, "Between you and me, she's more open to things when I try it first, you know? Sets her mind at ease knowing that, if I did it, she could do it."

"Completely understood." the woman nodded, before standing up from her stool. She leaned out the window, waving someone down, "I'll have Trinity show you around the church!"

"Awesome, thank you so much!" Violet grinned back, hoping to match her sincerity.

"I don't suppose that you folks would like to tour the church as well?" The woman asked, expression hopeful.

"Ah, as much as we'd like to, we cannot at the moment." Corvus said, quick to interject, "You see, we need to drop our horses off, find a place to stay, all of that."

"Oh, I see…" Violet couldn't help but feel a bit of despair at the woman's sudden shift in tone, only to just back when her eyes lit back up, "I don't suppose that you people would like me to help you with your horses?"

"That would be very nice, thank you." Hope smiled, her eyes the only sign that she was even a bit uncomfortable.

Before Corvus could say anything more, a sudden hand came down on Violet's shoulder, "I take it that you're the one that wants the tour?"

Violet turned to face the girl, restricting every sense in her system to slap the girl's hand off. She couldn't have been any older than her, her long black hair wrapped up into a messy bun, warm brown eyes almost too friendly.

She seemed to be wearing the same thing as the woman in the booth, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, "That's true!" Violet managed to get out, her head spinning for some reason.

She felt like she was going to get emotional whiplash from all of these interactions.

"Follow me." She said, turning around to walk away, before stopping herself, "Apologizes, where are my manners? My name is Trinity."

"...Mae." Violet managed to get out, shaking the girl's hand.

"What a pretty name." Trinity smiled, before turning around, "No use wasting more time, eh? I'll show you around now."

Violet didn't want to think it, but this Trinity girl was getting weirder and weirder with each passing second.

Regardless, Violet moved to follow, only to stop when cold fingers pried her hand off of Jade's wrist. Whoops, had she been holding onto her this entire time?

Violet shot Jade her best apologetic look, too which Jade seemed to send her the double bird with her eyes alone, before moving to follow Trinity, "So, you guys have a real nice place here." Violet said, looking around at the bland houses and similar-looking yards. Hell, the only thing here that really stood out was the church in the middle.

Violet couldn't help but wonder if that was accidental or intentional.

"It isn't much, especially before we had the church built." Trinity murmured, the blunt truth hitting Violet harder than she thought it would, "We have all we need. If we need more, we pray."

"Nice and simple system you guys got here." Violet murmured, following Trinity between the houses. Not that there were many, but there were enough to get lost around. Granted, Violet was sure that this place was probably built on some sort of grid, being how each house lined up perfectly with the houses around it.

It was perfect.

And, for some reason, a part of Violet couldn't help but feel antsy because of it.

"So… I'm going to guess that you've lived your whole life here?" Violet asked, disliking the sound of silence. She really couldn't help it.

"Yep," Trinity murmured, not bothering to turn around as she continued to lead Violet on, "Born and raised."

"Have you ever left?"

"No. There's no need to leave."

"You're not even the tiniest bit curious of what's out there?"

"Why would I be?" Trinity asked, voice holding just a bit of bite behind it, as if Violet had just verbally attacked her, "Even if I was, I doubt that I'd want to leave. I have everything I could ever need here. Besides, the outside world is a dark place. It's much safer here."

"... I guess." Was all Violet could really manage, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. She felt like part of her was being suffocated, "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. It's just that… I've only ever really known one religion, if I can call it that? I have a lot of questions, and I'm sure that a lot of them sound weird."

"... It's fine," Trinity sighed, looking like she was doing her best to hold herself together, her words and body language anything but in sync, "Feel free to ask other questions, though."

"Alright," Violet murmured, looking around before asking, "Where do you do your blood sacrifices?"

"... I'm sorry?"

"The sacrifices." Violet said slowly, enunciating her words to make sure that Trinity could understand her. If Trinity's wide eyes were anything to go off of, Violet was sure that she wasn't clear enough, "The children ones? Or no, my bad, maybe you guys just do the regular sacrifices? Perhaps you're all just a little behind and you're still at the animal sacrifices? Cause, if so, it explains why there aren't-."

"We're here." Trinity said, effectively cutting her off.

Violet looked up, the sheer height of the building more than intimidating. Now that she was standing up right next to it, she couldn't help but feel tiny and insignificant.

"...Wow."

"Wow indeed." Trinity said, taking a deep breath in, before moving towards the wide ivory doors. She pulled one open, gesturing Violet inside, "I believe that the morning message is about to begin. If you have more questions, I'd recommend talking to Father Harel. Please, make yourself at home."

Violet gulped, looking at the doorway, before steadying herself. For some reason, there was a part of her that warned against this. It demanded, no, it screamed that Violet turn around right now and get as far away as possible.

Another part seemed against that idea entirely. It wanted to walk in, enjoy the warmth that this place could offer.

Clearing her mind (to the best of her ability), Violet stepped into the church, pulling the friendliest smile onto her face.

This couldn't be so bad, right?

* * *

Corvus had expected finding a place to be a total chore. It was difficult enough in places full of… regular people. So it only made sense to assume that this would be ten times worse.

Boy was he wrong.

He felt that, if he had blinked, he would have woken up in their room and been lost as to how they got there.

After that woman from the booth took their horses, another had come out of nowhere, saying that she heard they need a place to stay. One thing lead to another, and now there were three demons in a rather cozy room, ready to spend a night or two there.

Jade was quick to throw herself against the door, as if she were trying to keep a terrifying monster out, "Satan, I hate this place."

"You've made that very clear." Hope murmured, moving to close the blinds of the room, before turning to survey the two beds that took up most of the room, "...I'll take the chair."

"You mean that tiny straw and twing table with half a cushion on it?" Jade muttered, gesturing to what Hope had called a chair, "Have fun with the splinters in that thing."

"I don't suppose we should begin looking around now?" Corvus muttered, pulling at the bottom of his glove out of habit. Pesky things, the more he moved his fingers, the more they threatened to fall off.

"Good call," Hope murmured, peeking out from behind the curtains, "It looks like the sun is rising. Hopefully we get some sort of hint as to where Sutton is."

Jade snickered, the sound opposing her current expression, "I see what you did there."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"...Anyway," Corvus muttered, rolling neck as he stared the door down. It had been many years since he'd last had to deal with one of… them, and even then they hadn't been the most accommodating to being such as himself.

Granted, the last time he'd dealt with one, he hadn't done much to hide what he was. In fact, if he remembered correctly, he had done the exact opposite.

With that thought, he made his way for the door, giving Jade a look when she didn't move, "Do you mind?"  
"We just got here," Jade grumbled, pouting like a child, "Do we have to leave, already?"  
"I believe that someone wanted to get this over with quickly, yes?" Corvus said, taking just a bit of pride in how Jade seemed to deflate a bit, "Or do you wish to stay in this room for, I dare say, a week or two?"

"I hope they drown you in holy water." Jade grumbled, moving away from the door.

"What an elaborate and terrifying threat," Corvus couldn't help but shoot back, pulling the door open, before turning to Hope, "Are you coming along?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'll be right there." Hope murmured, eyes locked on something outside.

Jade scowled, marching over to the window, "What's so important that you can't stop staring at it?" Jade muttered, squinting to look outside, only to find the rest of the town and the treeline.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit… lost in thought." Hope muttered, before walking over to Corvus, "Alright, how should we do this? We can't exactly walk around and ask for Sutton by name. I can only guess how much suspicion could come from that."

"It'll only look bad if you ask the wrong way," Jade murmured, keeping her voice down as she followed Corvus out, "Just don't say anything foolish."

"Mind giving me your definition of foolish?" Hope asked.

"Simple. Stupid."

"That's not a definition, that's a synonym."  
"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"Ladies, please." Corvus said, tone teasingly chiding, "You'll be among the masses soon, so do your best not to slander us all, yes?"

"Whatever, dad." Jade spat out.

"No, I'm your uncle, remember?" Corvus said, a shit eating smile on his face, "You'd do your best to keep up our little lie now, dear niece."

"I hope you end up bitter and alone." Jade muttered, growling lightly to herself as they walked back down the stairs.

"Would it kill you to smile, just a bit?" Corvus asked.

"Can't force those, sorry." Jade sneered, making a whole show of hooking her index on her cheeks, pulling them apart, "I've been told that I look less friendly and more like a bulldog about to attack."

"Just think of something funny," Hope murmured, pulling her own smile on as they walked outside, doing her best to keep it as real as possible, "That's my advice."

"Thanks, mom." Jade murmured, taking a deep breath before pulling an expression over her face. Corvus casted her a look, only to cringe. She looked like she was about to bite someone, "Like this?"

"I don't suppose you could use less… teeth?" Corvus suggested.

"That would be a smirk, and I'm told that's my most devious look."  
"Maybe you could try to relax your expression, just a bit?" Hope offered, "So it doesn't look like you bit straight into a lemon, perhaps?"

"The only sour thing here is her attitude." Corvus couldn't help but snicker, ignoring the murderous look in Jade's eyes.

Finally, Jade eased her face into a more believable expression. Granted, the aura she gave off was murderous, but at least her smile didn't make her look like insane.

Hope caught her eye, giving a small nod, "Better."

"I did not FUCKING ask."

"Language." Corvus was quick to say, giving an apologetic look to an offended mother and her surprised son, "I do apologize, she didn't have the best rest last night." He said, offering a smile of his own to the mother, who didn't notice as she was busy pushing her son along in the opposite direction, "Well, so much for that."

"The hell is that supposed to mean, Crow?" Jade spat, her tone slowly growing quieter, "Last I checked, it isn't against their religion to curse!"

"That doesn't mean that you should be dropping such words so haphazardly."

"If I want to say fuck, I will say fuck. I don't need to fucking ask you permission to say the word fuck, you fucking-."

"Maybe it would be best to split up?" Hope quickly interjected, looking around at the less than pleased people around them, "We could cover more ground."

"Splendid idea." Corvus muttered, his tone as false as his smile.

"I can live with that."

"Good. I'll look around there," Hope said, pointing to what looked to be an array of tents, "Looks like some sort of market place."

"I call the stables." Jade muttered, before whispering to herself, "Seems the least crowded area."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of looking for someone?"

"Not if you're looking for someone who doesn't want to be found." Jade shot right back, looking like she was about to start throwing hands, only to have Hope throw herself between them.

"We can meet up later on," Hope said, her expression suddenly turning cheerful as her voice came out louder than it probably should have been, "I'll see you guys back at the room later on! Hopefully, we can learn more of what this town and their beliefs can do for us!"

"I couldn't have said that any better." Corvus really hoped that these people didn't understand sarcasm. For Jade's sake, of course.

Choosing to keep his ideas to himself, Corvus moved to walk on, looking out into the group of people with a sigh. Hoping that they wouldn't be too preachy, Corvus pulled on his kindest smile, trying to force the force out of his expression.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

The sudden shift from bland simplicity to gold and light gave Violet whiplash.

She moment she stepped into the church, she felt as if she was entering some other world. The room looked a bit smaller than the building lead her to believe. Granted, there were probably a whole lot of different rooms and whatnot, but still. What the room lost in size, it made up for in height, if the high-hanging chandeliers were anything to go off of.

The white roman-looking pillars held up the ceiling, the walls the same color but lined with gold. To her left and right, pews lined the room. At the very front stood a podium of sorts, standing alone on its own stage.

Violet squinted at the cross hung on the far wall, perfectly centered as if someone had put in a LOT of effort into making the placement perfect.  
"Ah, I take it that you came in with the new group early this morning? Allow me to welcome you to Ada's Temple of Piety."

Violet nearly jumped, ready to scream and throw fists. She hadn't noticed him at first, but now that she was looking closer, she could see the outline of a white robe. The man stood with her back turned towards her, standing in front of what she assumed was some sort of fancy table.

"Thank you." Violet managed to say, slowly walking closer to the podium. Each step felt heavy, for some reason, as if her body was against the idea of getting closer to this man, "I don't suppose you're the leader of this church?"

"The only leader you'll find here is the one and only above us, young one."

Violet couldn't help but feel lost. She knew that this guy was speaking english, but for some reason, she could not put the words together into comprehensible speech. This guy sounded like he was speaking in some sort of higher form of english. Or maybe she just wasn't up to the normal english standard. Honestly, who knew at this point?

"I don't suppose that you could point me in his direction?" Violet asked, doing anything she could to keep the conversation going, "Or, maybe you could tell me where the next holiest guy is?"

"You'll find that a lot of the questions you ask have answers closer than you think."

God, this guy just couldn't give any kind of straightforward answer now, could he?

"Ah, forgive me, I often forget that newcomers are not accustomed to our terminology and phrases of the sort."

His voice sounded warm and welcoming, with a face and posture to match. When he turned around, Violet couldn't help but squint just a bit, feeling as if he were radiating all the light in the room. Violet quickly decided that the latter sounded much more badass.

"I am Father Issac Harel. And you are?"

Regardless of how Violet did her best not to snicker, shaking his hand with the most sincere welcoming smile she could muster, "Call me Mae." She managed to get out, her mind still giggling to itself over his name.

Had his parents looked up "holy baby boy" names, or something?

Yep, in Violet's head, that's exactly what happened.

"Welcome to our little town, Ms. Mae." The Father said, a friendly smile on his face as he let go of her hand, gesturing to the church walls, "I take it you saw our new church and wanted to know what could be inside?" He asked, his warm brown eyes seeming to gleam in the lighting, as did his short yet styled blonde hair.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Violet murmured sheepishly, looking around the room with just a bit of apprehension.

"I take it that that is not your only reason for seeking this place out?" He asked, his tone warmly demanding, almost. "Tell me, my child, what ails you?"

"I'm just looking for answers, Father." Violet admitted, giving him a sheepish smile, "I need answers to questions I can't put into words. Heck, I need some of the questions, if I'm being completely honest."

"Ah, a question of one's true self, the one person we expect to understand but never truly do." He said, patting her shoulder before gesturing to the front row, "If you'd like, we will be beginning the morning mass. I strongly suggest that you stay for the service, you could find what you are looking for."

Violet blinked. She was sure that he had just said something amazing and wise, but her stupid ass couldn't pick up on it for shit, "Ah, yes. Thank you, Father." She managed to say, doing a small bow because it felt right before walking over to the front row.

It would seem as if she did that at the right time, since a bell of some sort chimed from outside (possibly above them?). At the sound, the Father straightened his sleeves, giving Violet a nod as he walked past her, heading to the doors, "I do hope that you find what you search for, my child."

"As do I, Father." Violet murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She didn't pay any attention to the sound of the door creaking open, nor did she turn around to watch the Father greet and welcome those who came in.

Instead, she stared down at her hands, willing them to stop shaking. There was no way that this… service would be like her family's, right? If Trinity's expression had been anything to go off of, there was no way that some child sacrifice and ritual reading would take place, right?

Damn, she chose a good time to suddenly feel VERY uncomfortable in the church.

She barely noticed it when someone sat to her left, than to her right, instead focusing on how her heart felt like it was about to burst. She could do it, just sit on your ass, pretend your listening, and look around for any sign of Sutton.

Easy as cake.

It wasn't like she was being required to listen to whatever the Father was saying, nor did she really have to follow along with the songs they sung. She just had to blend in, that was it.

So why was it so hard to keep still?

She tried to will her leg to stop bouncing. She did her best to stop her fingers from tapping out some soundless beat. She did her best to notice the beings around her, but with how they all wore their hoods over their faces, Violet couldn't bring herself to look around for too long.

She felt like she was going to be sick.

Her eyes flickered to the left for a little too long, body going numb. Did that face look familiar? No, that couldn't have been her father, sitting right next to her, a chain connected to her neck in hand, whispering quiet commands into her ear, tugging ever so slightly whenever she began to fidget-

 _Calm down. Don't get a heart attack over this. Breathe in, breathe out. It's that simple. You know that none of these people is your father, nor are any of them your mother. Keep focus on what must be done, don't slip._

Thanks for the advice, Violet thought sarcastically to herself, only to shake her head at the mental conversation.

Just breathe.

That's all that needs to be done here.

Just breathe.

* * *

This was quickly becoming torturous.

Corvus wasn't about to go out of his way to complain like SOME demons, but if he were to be honest here, he would not be doing anything like this under normal circumstances.

With that thought in mind, he pulled another smile on, grateful that these strangers had no idea how fake it was, "Excuse me, miss, could you help me with something?"

"Oh, of course!" the older woman said, a large smile on her face as she moved to rise from her seat, walking down the little stairway to stand in front of Corvus, "How may I help you, young man?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine," Corvus sighed, making a big show of placing his hand on his forehead, "He said that he'd meet me at the town square, but I arrived a day late. By any chance, do you know about any recent visitors or travelers?"

"Hmm, let me think…" The older lady wondered, taking a moment to think, before shaking her head, "I'm so sorry, I can't remember."

"That's alright." Corvus said, doing his best not to let his immeasurable vexation show. Granted, the first few times it wasn't too bad, but after being told the same answer at house #52…

"If you're looking for visitors, I'd suggest that you talk to Lidia." The lady said, her expression set into a content smile, "She's the one that normally works the booth. That girl, she never forgets a name or a face."

"Ah, thank you for that." Corvus said, giving a small smile of his own. If only he hadn't heard that from house #9 and onwards. He couldn't really look for that woman again, having learned from house #23 that she was most likely in the church helping to prepare for the morning service.

Maybe Jade did have the right idea.

The very thought made Corvus' irritation grow.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't give you any straight answers, young man." The woman sighed, turning to walk back up her stairs, "My mind isn't as sharp as it used to be."

"There is no need to apologize," Corvus said, doing his best not to sound robotic. He figured that, after the older man at house #14 scolded him for his lack of manners, he figured that it would be easier to just end the conversations with this, "If anything, I'd like to apologize for taking time out of your day."

"That's quite alright, young man." The older lady chuckled, moving to sit back down on her chair, "Nothing really happens around here. If anything, you're 'interruption' is a welcomed one! I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time."

"Surely your neighbors have come by to say their hello's," Corvus said, his respectful mannerisms winning over his overall annoyance with the situation. He still had (what felt like) millions of houses left, what was five more minutes? "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I can't help but be under the impression that this is a tight-knit community."

"Ah, that is it, young man. In fact, you can thank Father Harel for that." The old lady chuckled, "We were once lost, angry and confused. Those were dark times."

"Am I right to assume that this Father Harel is akin to the town elder?" Corvus asked, scowling inwardly at how the name felt on his tongue.

"I guess you could say that, yes," The woman muttered, before reclining in her chair, "Father Harel gave us our saving grace, and not once has he taken any glory for it! He's made the hard decisions for us, and for that, we are all in debt to him!"

Corvus fought his urge to roll his eyes, "This Father Harel sounds like a town's savior."

"He really is." The woman agreed, before pointing towards the church, "He's the reason we were able to get that thing built, after all. Sure, it wasn't the easiest thing to do, but he proved that it could be done. Regardless of how difficult, of how much we had to give up, he was our bright leader through it all."

And you're sure that he built it to praise your God and not himself?" Corvus asked, cursing when the comment slipped out a bit too sarcastic. He did his best not to break eye contact, hoping that she hadn't picked up any ridicule.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice, instead laughing good naturedly, "By heavens, of course not! Actually, now that I think about it, he named the church after his late daughter: Adalaine."

"What a beautiful sign of love." Corvus said, before nodding, "Well, I must be off, I'm sure that my friend is worried about me. Thank you again for your time, Miss."

"Oh, please, call me Agitha." The older woman insisted, a kind smile on her face as she watched him leave, "Do come by again! Your company is always welcomed here!"

"I shall keep that in mind!" Corvus shouted back, walking away from the house as fast as politely possible. Just like the other five houses that offered the same courtesy, he had no intention of ever turning around.

At least Agitha gave him some useful information, he thought to himself, looking over the next house with a sudden sort of dread crawling over him.

Yeah, a break didn't sound all that bad at the moment.

Taking a seat underneath a tree, he gave himself time to ponder his thoughts. Granted, he couldn't even begin to attempt to try to understand the anomaly that was Violet, so he focused on the easier here-and-now problems.

As if everyone's similar attire and friendly attitudes wasn't enough to make him feel uncomfortable, he felt like his skin was crawling from how long he'd been within the vicinity of that church. He had to mentally assure himself that it was all just mental and not physical multiple times, but at this point, he wasn't really sure himself.

He looked to the church, wondering how Violet was doing in there. He had no idea what being in a church could do to a demon, but he could imagine it being at least somewhat uncomfortable. Was Violet okay? Was Kuro okay?

God, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't never keep Kuro out of his head for too long. He fought the urge to let out a dramatic sigh, instead reclining further against the tree.

If Kuro were here right now, he had no doubt in his mind that she'd tease him. He could hear her voice in his head clear as day, teasing him for being lazy while throwing in pun-related pet names into the insults. She'd then probably sit down next to him, her knee bouncing up and down as she did her best not to look too bored. From there, she'd probably move to poke him, waiting for his reaction to whatever he did. Assuming he continued to ignore her, she'd probably grow more needy, more desperate for some kind of attention like, well, a cat.

And then she'd… Well, she'd…

She'd look at him with those heartbroken eyes and ask why he had them killed.

That thought was enough to get some feeling in his legs back, shooting up in order to get as far from the tree as he could in two steps. He fought to bury the guilt, keeping it all back down as he normally did.

Those eyes, that expression in general… It haunted him more often than he'd like to admit. Everytime he looked at Violet, he felt like he could see hints of Kuro's eyes. He felt like he could see heartbreak that Violet didn't feel, betrayal that Violet didn't notice.

Even if he did manage to bring Kuro back, would she ever forgive him?

He was ripped from his thoughts when someone behind him cleared his throat, "You alright there, stranger? You've been staring at my apple tree for a good while now."

"Ah, yes, I do apologize." Corvus managed, straightening himself out, "I did not mean to cause any sort of dilemma."

The older man looked at him, confused, before shaking his head, "Not to worry, young man! I just wanted to make sure you were alright there."

"Ah, of course." Was all Corvus could say, finally managing to stuff his inner turmoil down, before turning to the older man. Not wanting to give himself time to think, he quickly put a smile on his face, "...I don't suppose I could ask you a few questions, while I have your time?"

* * *

"Praises be to the lord, for he is good!"

Violet found herself mimicking the Father, as everyone else within the church was.

God, when this wasn't giving her anxiety attacks, this whole ordeal was pretty boring.

She fought down the next wave of sudden nausea. For a second, she thought that the Father was her own, the table before him bloodied. Instead of a book, he held a knife, his other hand held out to her, waiting for Violet to stand up and take the next life-

 _Steady yourself._

Violet forced herself to take a deep breath, fingernails digging into the palms of her hands. The fog in her head cleared, giving her an opening to look around.

She felt like she was surrounded by mostly older men and women, each of them wearing the same robe with the same colors.

Violet suddenly felt very subconscious in her vest, clutching her satchel closer to her. She was really tempted to bust out her notebook and begin drawing something, but she felt like that wasn't the most polite thing to do in the middle of a church service.

"...As spoken of in John 15:13, the scripture reads," the Father said, his voice jostling Violet from her thoughts. She did her best to listen, but it still felt like he was speaking in tongues. It all sounded like english, but it felt like some sort of weird sub-dialect.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Violet nearly repeated his words, sheepishly covering her mouth in the front. God, was her mind on auto right now? Not that she really minded at the moment, it meant she didn't have to think too hard on how the robed figures around her looked similar to the members to her own cult, each of them chanting in their low tones and hushed voices, praising her like she;d bring about the end of days, worshipping her as he hands grew red and warm from the blood-

 _You're doing it again. Take a deep breath, control yourself. You're better than this, allowing such thoughts to take over. Just breathe._

Violet inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. She'd fought demon hunters, this should be a piece of cake.

"Let us not forget Luke 9:24," Father Harel went on, his voice somehow loud enough to carry out throughout the entire room. He must have been in some sort of echo spot, Violet reasoned with herself.

"Read along: 'For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it'. Praise be to God, for showing us the true divinity that the light has to offer!"

"Praise be to God!" Violet joined the cry, doing her best not to yawn. God, how long has this been going on for now?

Looking at the window, she watched as the sun began to rise, squinting as the rays of light made their way into the room. God, it was morning already? Had she really slept most of yesterday away?

Cause, if so, that was a whole new level of lazy.

… Ignoring that one time that she fell asleep in Penketh and woke up in the manor, of course.

Violet did her best to watch the Father ramble on, listening to him quote a bunch of other verses. Mark 10:45, Titus 2:14, Proverbs 3:9… Wow, this guy was jumping around all over the place with these verses.

At least, that's what Violet thought. She had only picked up bibles in her youth when she needed help going to sleep. It became very hard for her to keep her eyes open after reading "In the beginning, there was ZZZ".

It suddenly hit her how disgusted most of the people in this church would be in they learned that she'd used the bible as her own "beddy-byes-or-bust" routine.

"May we close today's morning service in prayer." Father Harel said, those words ringing true in Violet's head. Thank God, it was finally over. No more staring at the ceiling, feeling the cold expanse above her descend upon the basement-s cold walls, the warmth slowly but surely being sucked-

Nope, she wasn't going to give herself the chance to finish that thought.

"May the Lord look down upon us with grace and forgiveness," Father Harel said, his hands held up and out, palms turned upward as his eyes closed, "For none of us are without sin. May we ask for his mercy, and offer ourselves up to his divine love. May he see the good in us, for each intention behind our acts are made from love, rather than resentment. May he forgive us of our faults, and cleanse us to become anew, in his image."

Violet couldn't help but grow agitated. How was it that this one prayer felt like she was sitting through three more of these "services"?

What kind of space/time-bending bullshit was this?

"In his name, may we find ourselves made pure."

Violet couldn't help but feel sick suddenly, almost as if she were revolting to the word. Pure.

Purity.

Why didn't she like that word? What was wrong with it?

She had no idea, but for some reason, she couldn't help but feel disgusted with the very thought of the word. Purity. It left a bad taste in her mouth.

 _Purity._

It almost felt like the word had done her some personal wrong, like it had backstabbed her or something.

 _SANCTIMONIA_

Shaking her head, she almost missed the cue to stand up again, quick to follow everyone else around her.

"Amen." Father Harel said.

"Amen." The rest of them mirrored, the dull drone of their combined voices filling the room, and Violet, with a sort of unease.

But, as quickly as it had come, it left. Many members moved to the front of the church, giving their thanks and words of gratitude. Others began to file out of the church.

Meanwhile, Violet sat back down in her seat, eyes staring at her hands as if they'd give answers.

… What had just happened?

"I take it you haven't found quite what you're looking for, my child?"

"I guess you could say that, Father." Violet sheepishly admitted, fighting not to jump as his hand came down on her shoulder, "It would appear as if I have more questions than answers now."

"Ah, at least you found those questions within yourself," Father Harel said, laugh filled with good nature as he walked back over to his podium, before gesturing to what looked like a glorified wooden shack, "Maybe a confession is in order?"

"Confession?" Violet asked, confused.

"Yes, you see, I find it that a confession normally helps me to clear my mind." Father Harel replied, moving to clean up his podium of papers, stuffing them back into his book, "During confession, you speak freely and as you think, without having to worry of the disgust of those around you. It is a conversation you have between you and God, with me to 'mediate' if you could call it that."

"Sorry, but I think I'll have to pass on that for now, Father." Violet said sheepishly. As friendly as the suggestion sounded, something about dumping out the contents of her mind on a man of God didn't feel right.

"No need to apologize," Father Harel said, putting his book and other papers into a briefcase of sorts, "We all come to God when the time comes. Rushing it will only go against the natural process."

"Of course." It wasn't like she knew what else she could say.

"Anyway," Father Harel murmured, walking past her seat, before turning to give her a friendly smile, "I must prepare for the next service. Do feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

"You're not going to lock the door or anything?" Violet couldn't help but ask, looking around the church. There was no way that they'd trust a total stranger in this house of God, especially when it looked to be recently built and gold-flavored.

… Right?

"A house of God should never be locked, especially to the public," Father Harel said, waving it off as he made his way towards the door, "Ada's Temple of Piety is open to you, so please, do enjoy the facility at your leisure. The next service will be in a few hours or so, I won't be back till then."

Violet turned around, ready to explain that it might now be the best idea to let strangers- And he was gone.

...Welp.

Far be it from her to not take a good opportunity when it was displayed to her.

She did try to tell him that it was a bad idea, but being how the Father seemed more than happy to allow her around with no supervision, she quickly stood up from her chair.

She first inspected the walls, whistling with appreciation when no cracks or imperfections were found. It kept hitting her how nice the place was. Granted, if everyone was to be believed, apparently it was a new addition to their little town.

She walked to the front, stepping up to stand behind the podium. She couldn't help but feel a little power coursing through her, looking over the rest of the room from her slightly elevated stage. It honestly felt oddly empowering, as if the will of the stage was urging her to begin shouting a speech with as much charisma as possible.

It took a lot of willpower to step back down without making some sort of stupid (historical) reference.

Wandering around the front of the room, she couldn't help but cast a look at the confession box-thingy. She walked up to it, a hand outstretched to take the handle, only to stop herself.

No, it would be ridiculous to sit there and talk, Violet thought to herself.

Granted, it wasn't like she didn't do that normally, there was just something weird about talking to some unknown deity rather than just airing her own thoughts like some crazy person.

… Yeah, that made sense.

She moved on to the left wall, looking for any kind of inconsistency. The outside of the church was so much bigger than the inside would suggest, so that meant that there had to be other rooms. Her suspicious only grew when, at first glance, there didn't seem to be any sort of indication of other doorways besides the entrance.

She pressed her hands against the wall, closing her eyes as if that would help her detect it. It had to be here somewhere, she was sure of it…

 _No, not here. Have you tried walking over to your right? No, your other right… You know what, fine, keep going left. Aaaaaand now you're going right. Are you doing this to spite me? Because, if so, you're only screwing yourself here-_

"Hey, look, a brick out of place!" Violet said, shouting as if that would shut up the voice in her head.

Which was her voice.

In her head.

Before she could give herself a headache, she pushed the brick back into the wall, nearly jumping back when a portion of the wall shifted backwards, the right and left half moving in their designated directions to reveal…

A door.

"Wow, a hidden door that hides another hidden door," Violet murmured, holding her hands out to touch the cold wood, "How enigmatic."

She pushed the door slightly, jumping at the groan the wood made against the stone, revealing a pitch black stairway going down.

… Well, that was something.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching her, she pushed the door open just a little more. Taking a deep breath, she stared down the darkness inside, as if to challenge it. Finally, she walked in, making sure to close the door behind her, leaving her in the dark.

* * *

 **Holy FUCK this chapter was long.**

 **...Whoops.**

 **...Pooplies.**

 **Bai bai!**


	17. His Fair Lady, Led

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **Unasked for opinion: Taking your kids to church is just religiously brainwashing them at a young age, so that they're unable to think any other way without either feeling like they're wrong or being very confused.**

 **Amy: I'm smelling some repressed feelings.**

 **Me: Shut up, you're not real.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

"Do tell, is this what you've been doing for the past hour?"

Hope jumped at the sudden voice, sheepishly turning around to the person who had spoken. It took a lot of willpower not to laugh at his obviously disheveled appearance, and that was ignoring the forced smile on his face.

"You'll have to be more specific." Hope teased, throwing one leg over the other, sipping from her peach iced tea. She sat a bit off to the side of the fairly bustling market area. She sat under a small umbrella, with a table standing next to her. All she was missing were the sunglasses, and then her vacation look would be complete.

A complete paradox to Corvus at the moment, to which Hope couldn't help but feel just a little giddy.

"Have you been here," Corvus said, his words slow and measured, each one powered by the fire behind his eyes, "For the PAST HOUR, sipping iced tea in the shade?"

"No, I've been here for the last five minutes," Hope murmured, taking another sip as she looked back over the people in the vicinity, "I finished asking all of the vendors if they had seen anyone new."

"I'm going to guess that they all gave you the same answer?" Corvus couldn't help but sigh, nearly letting out a frustrated shout when Hope nodded.

"Nothing on Sutton. Or, nothing on any 'newcomers', as they like to put it." Hope said, her tranquil air slowly but surely being broken by Corvus' peaved stance, "Are you going to stand there with an angry stick up your ass, or are you going to take a seat?"

"Excuse me?" Corvus couldn't help but mutter, taking the seat Hope gestured to nonetheless.

"You heard what I said," Hope muttered into her drink, "Besides, you're whole 'angry at the world for producing Christians' vibe is really settling off my own mood, and I'd appreciate if you didn't do that."

Hope ignored Corvus' stare, listening to him let out an aggravated sigh from her side of the table, "I can't help but think that this is all for naught."  
"Oh?"

"Every house I went to, it was all the same answer. No one knows anything here, and it's beginning to become irritating."

"No way."

"It doesn't help that Violet has yet to come out of the church. I was sure that I the morning service ended, if the stream of people walking out earlier was anything to go off of-."  
"Really? Do tell."

Hope felt Corvus' angered glare land on her, "I do not appreciate your mockery, Vanth."

"Thought you'd prefer it over silence, and quit calling me that." Hope retorted, not bothering to meet his gaze. Instead, she kept her eyes on the masses, trying her hardest to distinguish one from another. No good, with all of their matching robes, the only real way to tell was by their face.

Granted, it didn't help that a lot of them seemed to pull their hoods up in the slightest.

"I do believe your time spent amongst humans has recreated you," Corvus said, venomous tone doing little to nothing to Hope, "You seem to have forgotten your place."

"Maybe you haven't noticed it yet, but if a prince can be reduced to wash dishes and care for a little girl, titles don't really matter up here." Hope responded without missing a beat, tone light and casual as she took another sip of her drink, "Damn, how they manage to get a light flavor that's not too sweet is beyond me."

"You have no right to speak to me in such a manner, especially after my hardships-."

"Hardships? With all due respect," Hope muttered, spitting the last word out like poison, "You're in no position to complain about how 'hard' your life, especially to me."

"Oh, apologizes, I forgot how hard it is the do as your told." Corvus shot back, "A servant girl like you would never understand the stress and strain I felt. Your job was simple and straightforward, I fail to see the difficulty there."

That got to Hope, if the grip on her paper cup was anything to go by, "You fail to see the difficulty," Hope said, calm facade cracking, "Of course the stuck-up brat wouldn't be able to see. You took everything for granted, expected to be waited on. Well, do I have a newsflash for you, my prince."

Corvus couldn't help but smile at her anger. While this was a new side to the once timid maid, he had to admit that it was a welcomed one.

It meant that he got to push buttons.

"You have no right to complain about your 'hardships'." Hope growled, one hand subconsciously moving to the back of her neck, "I doubt that you even understand the definition behind that word."

"And you're the last person I'd expect to understand my predicament," Corvus shot right back, "A servant girl like you would have never had to make the hard choices and follow through with them. With the lack of backbone you had, you surely would have snapped under the pressure of such issues being presented to you."

Hope opened her mouth, ready to refute him, only to sigh, "Whatever." Was all she managed, moving to take another sip from her cup, only to find it empty, "... I didn't mean to explode like that."

"I never would have guessed."

"Stop trying to push my buttons," Hope hissed, before setting the cup down, "I'm just saying that I didn't mean to cause such an outburst."

"There's no need to worry, I will not hold it against you." Corvus said, his condescending tone saying otherwise, "Besides, it would be a shame to fire you. Violet seemed to favor you immensely."

"I don't even know why I bother trying to apologize to you," Hope grumbled, her apology seemingly disintegrated at this point, "And for the record, I'm not here to serve you. I'm here to help her. I couldn't care less if you were to die, hell sometimes I hope for that alternative. I'm here to do what I can for Violet, no more and no less."

When Corvus met her statement with silence, Hope took that as a sign to continue on in such a manner. There was nothing more to say between them, no need to force some empty words into the silence.

* * *

Violet shivered, another gust of cold wind making her wish she had brought that coat from Penketh. With a hand placed against the slightly damp wall, Violet continued downwards, eyes squinting as she tried to use any sort of light to see.

It smelled earthy, like dirt and moss almost. The rock walls were slightly damp, from what Violet had no clue. Each step sent an echo throughout the hallway, and no matter how hard she tried, it didn't seem to be in the mood for quieting down.

What luck.

Violet yelped, nearly slipping off the edge of the step, fingernails attempting to find holds in the wall. No such luck. She leaned back, attempting to steady herself, only to fall backwards, right on her ass.

What. Luck.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Violet tried to get back up, only to yelp as she slid down the stairway, each step causing her to bounce up just a bit. She tried to make grabs at the walls, as if one of them would extend and offer her a hand to stand up, but no such luck.

What. The. Fuck.

Finally, the bumpy Disney ride from hell ended, the stairway spitting her out at the bottom. Violet groaned, hands thrown out in front of her to make sure she didn't faceplant, before slowly standing up.

Her ass hurt, cheeks burning with the fire of a thousand suns.

 _Please never think that again._

She looked around the dark room, noting the fires that gave off just enough light to see the room. Er, it was more of a corridor from her point of view. The stairway had lead to a cylindrical hallway, with cracks and crevices embedded into the walls.

Violet walked over to the nearest crack, peeking in as if she'd find something. When she found that only darkest stared back, she moved back, feeling a dark shudder go down her back.

Grabbing one of the torches off of its holder, Violet held it up and out in front of her, looking at all the other cracks and crevices that had been hidden in the darkness.. For a church, their basement sure was pretty holy.

 _… Please never think that again._

Deciding that this part of her mind didn't care too much for her punny genius, Violet continued on, using her torch to look the hallway over.

She couldn't help but think that this wasn't adding up. The church was new, but this basement-like area didn't look new at all. In fact, it looked like the oldest thing in this town.

She stopped when another cold breeze introduced itself, the air coming from right next to her. Brandishing her torch, she turned right, noting the doorway. She had no idea if that had been there earlier, and at this point, she was getting too scared to ask.

Not that there was anyone else down here to ask, honestly.

… There was no one else down here, right?

"If you're down here and alive, please say so," Violet found herself yelling at the doorway, taking a deep breath before taking a step forwards, "Say so now, or forever hold your piece. If you are, in fact, alive and within the premises, I will take that as a personal offense and… And command Corvus to kill you dead."

 _Wow. Way to establish your dominance._

Ignoring that thought, Violet took a step into the room, eyes squeezed shut. Okay, she was going to open her eyes, and it would be a dark room. No nothing in there. No skeletons, no giant spiders, no surprise boss music…

Finally prying her eyes open, she gave a relieved sigh at the dark room. Nothing was in here. She couldn't help but let out a laugh, the feeling of relief flooding her system, "Ha, good try, dark and empty room! Trying to scare me like I'm some child, ha!"

 _… Wow, way to establish your dominance over an empty room-_

"Oh, shut the fuck up." Violet muttered to herself, using her torch to look the room over. With the little light that the fire gave off, Violet could make out faint outlines of… something on the walls. Walking over to the left wall, Violet raised the torch, nearly jumping back at the painting.

It looked so lifelike, she assumed that the child painted was actually there. Now that she was looking at it closely, everything but the eyes looked pretty life-like. For some reason, the eyes had been painted in almost glossy, like the child was blind or something.

Some gold at the bottom reflected the torch light back, drawing her attention to the plaque that had been placed underneath:

 _William "Willy" Abbot_

"Well, Willy, guess they made a lot of masturbation jokes at your expense, huh?" Violet muttered to herself, finally managing to tear her eyes away from the painting. It felt like the eyes were following her, and quite frankly, she didn't like it.

She moved on to the next one, squinting to read the name under the next painting:

 _Hank Kilrain_

"What the hell is it with these paintings?" Violet wondered aloud, moving from painting from painting. She found that, if she looked at the pictures for too long, she got this feeling of unease. Almost like the paintings themselves didn't want her there.

 _Oliver Schmidt_

Who the hell were these guys?

 _Max Greens_

If the paintings were anything to go off of, the only thing they all had in common was the fact that they all seemed to be young boys.

 _Kian Kirkland_

The youngest one looked to be around 12, maybe 13.

 _Theo Skys_

While the oldest painting she'd seen so far being maybe around 16.

 _Cameron Arcus_

At first she assumed that it was a sort of "one boy per household" thing, but that was quickly disproven when she came across similar surnames.

 _John Arcus_

 _Tyler Kirkland_

When she thought that twins were out of the picture, was that was also disproven when she came across a painting of two boys standing shoulder to shoulder.

 _Jake and Jacob Norens_

All of them had the same blank eyes.

 _Luke Lilian_

The same dead expression.

 _Mathew Ride_

But other than that, and ignoring what Violet could only assume to be familial resemblance, there was nothing else to link these boys together.

 _Dylan Rox_

So the question still remained: Why did they all have paintings up down here?

Violet almost did a double take at the next drawing, squinting at the painting and then the name to make sure that she wasn't seeing things:

 _Adalaine Rosa Harel_

Now that she was looking closer at the picture, she could see the resemblance to Father Harel. The same hair color, the same eyes, the same friendly smile. The only real difference was that, well, she was a girl.

"So much for the boy scout graduation idea," Violet muttered, glaring at the picture for ruining her theory, "...Maybe her mom fought hard against the idea of boy scouts being only for- You know what, no, that's stupid."

She stared at the picture, confused. Out of all the pictures she had seen so far, this was the only girl.

She gave herself a moment to think, nearly setting her hair on fire in the process. Why would they have something like this?

It was then that it hit Violet.

There weren't a lot of kids in this town.

So that meant that this place was…

Violet looked around at the paintings, a chill running up her spine. She suddenly went from very uneasy to straight up uncomfortable.

"I'm standing in the middle of some massive children's grave, aren't I?" Violet muttered, looking down at the ground with shaking knees.

 _Focus. We're on to something. We're close, I'm sure of it._

Violet forced her nerves back down, taking a deep breath as she looked around the room. Okay, so there were dead kids here.

Nothing too weird.

With that question answered, she looked around the room, brain grinding away.

What was this room supposed to be for?

If it were some sort of memorial, it didn't make much sense to have it down here. Memorials were there to be visited and whatnot, so it didn't make sense for it to be down here.

Well, granted, if it was a mass burial place for a bunch of children, it would probably make more sense to be down in some basement.

It was then that another question arose: what had happened?

She wasn't sure exactly why, but she felt like the building of the church and this little room had some sort of dark connection.

She backed up out of the room, torch held up and out as if the paintings would spring to life and attack.

Finally finding her way back into the hallway, she held the torch out, squinting as she tried to look down the abyss that was this basement hallway.

Honestly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep looking around.

But, that goddamn curiosity seemed to have teamed up with her motor functions, because she found her legs walking forwards and onwards.

"You two suck ass." Violet muttered to, well, herself.

As she walked on, she couldn't help but ask the questions over and over in her head. Maybe it was a plague? No, if that were it, she was pretty sure that there wouldn't be only kids pictures. She could at least assume that the room had been recently put together, if their claim to the church being new was anything to go by.

Her thoughts slammed on the breaks when she heard the familiar sound of stone grinding against itself, as if it was being pushed or moved out of the way.

Violet stood still, as if the torch wouldn't give her away as she listened closely. It was dead quiet for a moment, before Violet heard it.

The sound of a heavy door being pushed open.

Without thinking, Violet jolted down the hall, doing her best to run quickly but quietly. The stone floor beneath her seemed to have other plans, a light but present clicking noise echoing through the hallway.

Whoever it was, Violet was sure that they knew she was there.

So, since running forever down this endless hallway wasn't an option, Violet looked around, frantically whipping the torch about as she looked for another side door. There was one earlier, surely there had to be another one somewhere.

She frantically dashed down the hallway, her nerves rising with each heavy step that came down the stairs. Who knew how close behind this person was? Violet, for one, did not want to find out.

She had no idea how far she had gone, but when she saw another doorway, her nerves didn't give her time to stop and think. Without a second thought, Violet did a little twist into the room, putting the torch out by waving it about frantically, letting out a relieved sigh when the fire finally gave in and went out.

Violet pressed her back against the cold stone wall behind her, eyes squeezed shut. It went dead silent once more, and Violet almost questioned her sanity, only to stuff it when the footsteps made themselves known once more.

They sounded akin to her own father's footsteps, echoing in the dark and damp tunnel-like hallway. It was then that Violet heard the sound of water dripping from next to her, but at the moment, she really couldn't care less for it.

Each step clicked, the echo drawing closer, louder. Violet held her breath in, as if that would give her away in the dead silent room. There was no door to this room, no way for Violet to really keep this person out of she got found.

Violet held a hand over her own mouth, forcing one eye to slowly pry itself open.

She couldn't bring herself to peek out, instead looking down at the floor. If she squinted, she could see a shadow on the floor, the figure slowly but surely growing larger.

Violet shook, watching as it grew, the footsteps sounding louder. She got flashes in her head, the cold stone walls lined with chains and cuffs. The archway in front of her was locked off with iron bars, the red iron not from rust. God, she swore she could hear groaning and crying behind her, cries of children asking why their parents would do such a thing to them-

 _Stop._

Violet nearly missed it, opening her eyes to watch as a small figure walked past the room she hid in. Violet squinted, nearly shouting when the figure stopped.

Violet watched as Trinity whipped around, her earlier irritation demeanor replaced with just a hint of fear, "H-hello?" Trinity murmured, her voice coming out as a hoarse whisper.

Violet took a step back, just in time to go by unseen as Trinity turned towards the room. Violet could see it in Trinity's eyes, watching as the girl stepped towards the room with a hand outstretched, only to think twice and turn around, hurrying back down the hallway.

Violet didn't dare to take a breath, waiting just a bit longer. She didn't expect to hear a door slam shut in the direction Trinity had gone, but it was a welcomed surprise.

Finally, Violet let out her breath, an awkward laugh making it out of her mouth, before turning around. She had run into the room, she didn't even get a chance to look around-

She nearly screamed at the display before her, hands rushing to clap over her mouth, eyes wide as she took in the sight.

She hadn't noticed the light streaming into the room, but now that she did, she kinda wished that she had been left in the dark.

Then she wouldn't have had to see the corpse on the wall.

It's arms were cuffed to the wall, held up by the chains. If Violet looked closely, the ankles were also cuffed to the wall.

She suddenly felt very sick, watching as a spider crawled out of the empty eye socket and into the body's mouth. How long had this person been here? Where they starved to death? Burned? Why was it displayed in a room!?

Finally, letting out a shaky breath, Violet approached the corpse, reading over the plaque:

 _Rosemary Harel_

"Fucking hell," Violet muttered, slowly backing out of the room, "What did I just stumble into?"

* * *

"Sorry, but I don't know anything about any newcomers."

"No, that's okay," Hope insisted, shaking her head as she offered a friendly smile, "Thank you for your time, regardless."

"Oh, what good manners you have!" The older woman laughed, pinching Hope's cheek, "You don't see a lot of young kids with good manners these days!"

All Hope could do was laugh awkwardly, too nice to pull the woman's hand away from her face, "You flatter me."

"Nonsense, you're such a sweetheart! Nothing like those other kids we hear about in other towns!" The woman laughed, patting Hope on the back before walking back off into the crowd.

Once the lady was gone, Hope let out a sigh, before shooting Corvus a glare. He was still sitting at the table,

He caught her eye, giving her a look that said "I told you so" in the most sophisticated expression possible.

God, she really wanted to slap that expression right off of his face.

Hope instead chose to move on, ignoring how smug he looked as she moved on to the next person, "Excuse me, sir, do you have a moment?"

"Listen here, little lady," Hope fought the urge to jump, surprised that the man would respond in such a way, "I'm very happy with my religion. I don't need some newcomer to come in from the outside and try to tempt me away from my beliefs."  
"Umm, I'm sorry, but that's not exactly what I-."

"No, I don't need to listen to the words of a heretic," The older man went on, scoffing as he put his hand up, "If anything, you should allow me to explain to you why OUR religion is wrong."

"I don't think you quite understand. Personally, I'm not reli-."

"OH, NOT RELIGIOUS, YOU SAY!?" Hope couldn't help but look around, eyes pleading for help. If her hopes weren't already stomped, she was sure that multiple others looked on with either wonder or agreement, a lot of them nodding and whispering as they walked by.

"How can you claim not to believe in God when all the facts have been placed in front of you!?" The older man went on, Hope slowly taking steps backwards, "How can you not believe in the God who created all and sacrificed his son to us? What kind of heathen-."

"That's enough, Henry."

Hope stared at the new man, a sudden chill running down her spine. The older man did the same, his expression going from snobbish to pure adoration, "Father Harel! Just in time, I do require help explaining-."

"We do not demand that people agree with our beliefs, we can only offer to guide those who wish to understand more," The man said, before turning to Hope, an apologetic smile on his face, "Do forgive him, he's a bit of a radical."

"There's no worry," Hope said, the old man far from the forefront of her mind, "Forgive me, but are you a Father?"

"Ah, yes, Father Harel. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Hope was sure that, by Corvus' expression, they had both heard the same thing, "I take it that you were a part of the newcomers, young lady?"

"Yep, Hope Cenhelm, pleased to meet you!" Hope greeted, shaking his hand with almost too eagerness. She was sure that, if the smoke coming off of his was anything to go by, Corvus was fuming.

"Ah, what a firm handshake you have! The mark of a strong, independent woman!" Father Harel laughed, before gesturing towards the church, "I don't suppose you'll be joining us for our next service? Ada's Temple of Piety is open to all, even those who are just curious!"

"I'm afraid not, Father, I'm still acclimating to your town." Hope murmured sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head to sell the act, "But, while I do have your attention, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course I don't mind," Father Harel insisted, placing a supportive hand on Hope's back. She knew that it was a gesture in good faith, but having some stranger's hand on her back sent chills through her body, "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if a friend of mine had come through your town," Hope began, trying to explain carefully, "He said that he'd be here, and our group ended up arriving late. So, by any chance, do you know anything about any visitors?"

"Hmm, I can't recall anyone off of the top of my head," Father Harel murmured, scratching at his forehead before shrugging, "Could I have a name, perhaps?"

"Sherman?" Hope offered, ignoring how anxious she was feeling.

"Sherman…" Father Harel murmured, eyebrows narrowed as he fell deeper into thought, "...Do you have a last name, by any chance?"

"Sutton."

Hope fought the urge to cover her mouth, only realizing what she had said after it was done. Crap, she didn't mean to slip the last name! Now there was a chance that, if he were here, Sutton would be able to run before they even figure out if he's here or-

"No, sorry. The name doesn't ring a bell."

"...Huh?" Hope uttered, mind going blank. She felt like she had traded one nervous breakdown for another, the world around her feeling like it was crumbling away.

"I've spoken to many people that have travelled through here, and I make it a point to introduce myself to newcomers that come within the walls of the church," Father Harel muttered, speaking his mental process aloud. Each additional word felt like another nail in Hope's coffin, "Unfortunately, I can say with utmost certainty that I've never met a Sherman Sutton before. Are you alright, young miss? You seem a bit red."

"I think I've been outside for too long," Hope muttered, trying not to grind her teeth together with frustration, "I think I've been out in the sun for too long."

"That pesky sunburn," Father Harel agreed, laughing before patting her on the head, "Well, if you wish to ask anything else of me, you'll find me in the church. I do hope that they didn't start without me, I'm running a bit late."

"Oh, I do apologize for keeping you." Hope said, hoping that her slight guilt outweighed her building inner fury.

"I apologize for not being able to help you," With that, Father Harel gave one last wave as he walked over to the church, somehow still managing to look sophisticated as he sped walk for the doors of the church.

Hope inwardly groaned, her smile surely looking fake at this point. She walked right past Corvus, heading back to their shared room. God, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this angry, and the worst part? She had no idea who or what to be angry with!

Father Harel? No, he had offered his help and then some.

Corvus? Of course she was mad with him, but that was nothing new.

The old man that tried to go radical on her? God, she didn't even want to think about-

"If I'm going off of your reaction, I'm going to assume that the Father wasn't of much help?"

"Nothing, the Father knew nothing!" Hope grumbled, his tone just making her angrier. She had hoped that walking right past him would make her intentions clear, but it would appear as it didn't, "Nothing about Sherman Sutton! All of this has been for nothing! If he doesn't know, and he's supposed to be the leader of this town, there's a good chance that Sutton has never even crossed through this town! We've been wasting time!"

Hope was thankful that the area they were in was cleared out, no one else having to hear her outburst. She guessed that she'd thank the latest service, but before she could think, Hope stopped.

That sound...Was he...Was Corvus actually...Was he laughing at her?

Hope turned around and, sure enough, the Crow had a hand over his mouth, eyes squeezed shut as his shoulders heaved ever so slightly.

As per usual, Corvus managed to get her angrier.

"Yeah, laugh it up, Crow. It's SO funny that the only one who might know about anything about this guy is just as clueless as everyone else here!"

Hope attempted to ignore how Corvus seemed to only laugh harder, his face slowly growing red. Hope made sure to look around, ensuring that there really was no one else around, before whipping around.

Corvus didn't seem to realize that she'd slapped him until well after the fact.

Hope glared him down, cheeks red and eyes almost watery. She watched as Corvus measured her up, no longer laughing, his smirk replaced with an unamused line.

"...Do tell, what prompted that reaction?"

Hope opened her mouth, ready to start throwing curses, only to find her mouth suddenly dry.

Corvus stared at her, waiting for some sort of response. She turned her gaze towards the ground, hands shaking.

This situation wasn't the only reason she was mad, it had just been the final straw.

Hope cursed herself, feeling her eyes water up. Why was she crying? This was stupid, there was no reason to be so emotional right now… Even if it was just all of her frustrations fighting to escape her body…

"That man from earlier, what was his name? Henry?" Corvus murmured suddenly, putting a hand under his chin as if Hope wasn't in the middle of an emotional breakdown, "He looked like he was ready to fight nations and conquer countries to get you to believe in their religion."

"W-what?"

"I'm just trying to explain," Corvus said, before throwing his hands to the side, as if to exaggerate how common sense his line of logic was, "All that man needed was a metal bucket-shaped helmet."

Hope gave him a look, expression somewhere between lost and blank, the tears on her face long forgotten, "... I'm sorry?"

"I'm positive that exact man was responsible for the crusades."

Hope let out a huff, something between a laugh and a groan, "That doesn't help anything in the slightest."

"But you're smiling." Corvus pointed out, a small smirk of his own on his face, "And I'm pretty sure that a little laugh escaped you."

"Yeah, I'm laughing at how stupid that whole idea is!" Hope couldn't help but snicker, "Hell, where did you come up with that idea?"

"I'll have to give all the credit to my imagination and quick wit." Corvus said, waving his hand as if it wasn't much, but the grin on his face spoke volumes.

Hope could do nothing but shake her head, laughing every now and then at the idea, "Now I can't unsee it."

"That was the idea." Corvus said, chuckling lightly to himself.

"Doesn't change the fact that it was terrible."

To that, Corvus shrugged, "I won't lie, making jokes to make others comfortable was always more of a Kuro thing."

"That it was, and she did it well." Hope agreed, wiping away her frustration tears with a small laugh, "She'd either tell a joke, a story, or both at the same time."

"She was very good at both," Corvus agreed, "Even if a few of her references often went right over my head."

"Glad to know that I wasn't the only one." Hope said, laughing lightly, "To this day, I have little to no clue what she was talking about. I remember that, for some of them, she looked so proud of herself that I ended up laughing anyway."

"I'm sure Kuro didn't mind it, she always was one to entertain." Corvus insisted, before coming to a stop, "Ah, here we are."  
Hope didn't even realize they had continued down the path, barely noticing that she had apparently followed Corvus absentmindedly during their talk.

He held the door open for her, closing it behind the both of them before taking a seat on one of the beds.

Hope sat on the cushioned stool, back leaning against the wall as she sighed, eyes closed. She felt like a hot spike had been removed from her forehead, the tension not entirely gone, but a lot less volatile than it had been minutes ago.

She turned to Corvus, who had taken to lying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if deep in thought, "...Corvus?"

"Yes, Va- Hope?"

"I just want you to know, that… this doesn't mean I'm not still angry with you."

"...At least you're honest."

* * *

She knew that continuing to stare wouldn't answer any of her questions, but she couldn't really look away from the display.

God, she really wanted to look away, but she couldn't.

What the hell was this town trying to cover up?

Violet looked around the room, trying to take her eyes away from the corpse. When she finally managed to do so, she squinted, wishing she had more light so she could see better. What she had assumed were just cracks in the wall looking to be more like some sort of writing.

Violet took a step closer, eyes narrowed as she tried to read it, the print looking like someone had scratched it into the wall, "propitius esto peccatis nostris?" Violet muttered out loud, 90% sure she had butchered the phrase entirely.

What the hell was that written in, Greek?

 _Close, try Latin._

Violet nodded, it did look similar to the text she'd find in some of the old books in the library. A lot of the scriptures from the cult had been read in Latin, that must be why she could place it.

At least, that was the quick explanation she gave the idea.

Noticing the language great and all, but it didn't help that she still couldn't really read it.

 _Forgive us our sins._

… So a part of her knew Latin, huh?

Cool.

Violet continued to inspect the wall, hands tracing over the latin on the walls. Each translation just brought about more questions.

In her head, it looked almost like the symbols and words rearranged themselves, allowing her to read it as if it were all in English.

 _All for you, and you alone, Lord._

 _For all you've given us, allow us to return._

 _May their sacrifice please you._

That one made Violet step back a bit, eyes wide.

Sacrifice.

Who's sacrifice? Surely it couldn't be-

Violet stopped, pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. It wasn't a full picture, sure, but it was still enough to make her cover her mouth with her hands.

The pictures in that other room. All those little boys. Father Harel's own DAUGHTER. Hell, who knows, this corpse was a probable contender as well!

Had they all been…

Violet suddenly felt very sick, stomach feeling like it was trying to break out of her body and run. Blood roared in her ears, breath growing frantic. She was sure she was muttering under her breath, but she couldn't hear her words over the sound of her mind fracturing.

God, was that laughter coming from her? She had no idea. It sounded insane, as if the person was trying to cry and laugh at the same time. It sounded like someone trying to scream their laughter out, like a hyena on the brink of death.

Sick.

This whole place was sick.

She barely noticed the sound of hurried footsteps, nor did she realize someone was behind her. She only came back to reality when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"You were never meant to see this."

Violet couldn't help but give a wacky grin, the silliness in her smile a complete inverse to the anguish in her eyes, "What did you do?"

Gone was his friendly demeanor, the warm and friendly fire in his eyes replaced with something cold. If she looked closely, she was sure she could see something else there. Beyond the cold void, there was something. She could name it, she was sure of it… Was it, maybe…

Remorse?

"I did what had to be done," Father Harel murmured, voice low as if he would disturb the body before them, "I had the hard choices that no one else could."

"Careful there, Father, you almost sound guilty." Violet said, spitting out that last word as she stood, slapping his hand off of her shoulder, "How could you!?"

"It had to be done," Father Harel said, his voice a casual sort of somber, "I made sure to do as I was asked."

"So you went ahead and killed children!?" Violet shouted, suddenly feeling very out of control. It was like she had taken a backseat, her emotions moving forth to grab the controls instead. She pushed Father Harel back, the action doing little to move the man, "What kind of fucked up backwards logic is that shit!? Killing children like it's no one's business, killing your own daughter!"

At the last word, he grabbed Violet's wrist, stopping her before she could hit him again. Violet growled, ready to give him verbal hell, only to stop when they made eye contact. While his posture was cool, calm and composed, his eyes were just… cold. It was like staring into a void, there was nothing in there.

Violet was sure he felt nothing.

Violet coughed hard, sputtering as a fist connected with her midsection. Violet didn't even realize she had fallen back until fingers curled around her neck, holding her up in the air.

Violet coughed violently, the tips of her toes fighting to touch the ground as her hands clawed at Father Harel's fingers.

All the while, his cold gaze locked onto Violet's face, making no move to change it under Violet's glare. Even as Violet's vision began to fuzz in and out, his expression remained unchanged.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, young one." His tone seemed to suggest otherwise, the only thing to be found in his cold, dull eyes being just a glimmer of murderous intent, "Please, do forgive me."

* * *

 **I don't know why, and it wasn't intentional, but for some reason I see Father Harel as a smaller version of Kray Foresight.**

 **Amy: For a guy named Foresight, he really didn't have much Foresight.**

 **Me: What part of "you don't exist" do you not understand?**

 **Lilith: But who are you to say what is real and what isn't? Is that not up to our own interpretation?**

 **Me: I have no idea what you just said. But what I am sure of is that none of you are real, you're all just imaginary characters that I made up and wrote about.**

 **Erin: Wow, that hurts. And that wouldn't be able to hurt unless I were real and capable of feelings. Thus, I must be real.**

 **Amy: Thus, you're not hurt to begin with. Paradox.**

 **Erin: Shut up, I'm making a point, asshole.**

 **Amy: Idiot.**

 **Erin: Jerk off.**

 **Amy: Cum shot.**

 **Me: Okay, umm, could we not? I thought we didn't do this anymore. Like, I can't remember the last time we had this segment, nor can I remember the last time it was this long.**

 **Azazel: We're just here to make a point.**

 **Amy: Can't blame us for standing up for what we believe in.**

 **Me: But you can't believe in anything. You're not real.**

 **Lilith: God I wish I weren't real. Than I would have to deal with the bullshit I'm forced to put up with.**

 **Amy: At least you're relevant.**

 **Erin: At least you didn't get a random romance at the end of your story.**

 **Me: I'm feeling attacked, and none of that was directed specifically towards me.**

 **Miu: D-don't worry. We a-all favor a-a-and adore you.**

 **Erin: Don't get me wrong, Miu, we love you and all, but you sound like you're kissing ass a bit too hard.**

 **Amy: Yeah, like, dial it down a bit? The last thing we need is the OC creator to look more like some sort of Mary Sue.**

 **Me: I cannot describe how offended I feel by being called that.**

 **Lilith: Are you really taking offense from people who, as you say, "aren't real?"**

 **Me:...Fuck you guys, I'm going to cement the fourth wall shut and NO ONE is going to stop me. All of you, out, I'm so done with you guys, Jesus FUCK-**

 **These parts always were enjoyable to write out. Too bad it doesn't happen as often.**

 **Anywho, thanks for reading and crap. Cya next week.**

 **Bai bai!**


	18. His Fair Lady, Not Really in this Chappy

**Hello, Crimson here!**

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 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

"They seem to be taking their sweet time."

Hope didn't need to see Corvus' expression to know that, at this point in their one sided conversation, he was beginning to grow tired of her. The past hour between the two had been spent in either weird silence or Hope attempting conversation.

"I wonder if they'll be coming back anytime soon."

Hope had no idea how Corvus could make a hum sound annoyed, but he managed.

"Whatever," Hope muttered to herself, going back to silence. She couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable in the silence, as if she were forgetting something that was right in front of her. Something important.

"...Where do you think Jade is?"

"I don't think you quite understand my stance at the moment," Corvus said, groaning as he pulled himself up from the bed, sitting up in order to make proper eye contact with her, "So let me make this perfectly clear."

He pulled his legs to cross, hands clasped over each other on his lap. He smiled, eyes no longer capable of holding any other emotion besides irritation, "I don't know where Jade is, I don't WANT to know where Jade is, and I don't care where Jade is. I don't know how else to make myself clear here, so please excuse my pernicious tone."

With that said, he flopped back down onto the bed, arm thrown over his eyes as if that would help to force Hope out of existence.

Hope huffed, rolling her eyes. God he could be such a grouch at times. She honestly couldn't help but chalk it up to him becoming a fussy toddler after missing his nap.

Now positive that Corvus wouldn't take kindly to her bouncing ideas off of him, Hope chose to keep to herself, thoughts wandering about in her head.

She couldn't help feeling like she was missing something, like an itch that she didn't know where to scratch for.

What was it?

She thought back to Jade, her mind unwilling to let the irritating shapeshifter out of her mind. Granted, after seeing what she had, it didn't feel right to feel nothing but spite for Jade.

That was Corvus' job, after all.

Still, she felt like, whatever was missing, Jade had something to do with it…

She glared down the bland wall as if it would give her answers, the off-shade yellow doing little to nothing for her.

God, she really tried to not let it get to her, but this whole place was just so… weird. Maybe it was just her own demonic instincts telling her this was a bad place, or the way that everyone seemed so nice it felt either fake or sarcastic.

God, if she was being completely honest with herself, the only one who probably disliked this place more than Corvus or her own self would have to be…

… Would have to be Jade.

That's when it clicked.

Jade was the one to insist that they go to Tarrin.

Finally, that off feeling came back, stronger now that it's source was known.

Hope couldn't help but find it odd: Why would Jade want to come here so badly if this is what was waiting for them?

She had made it very clear that she knew the surface like the back of her own hand (At least, she knew this part well). So, if that were the case, wouldn't it make sense for Jade to insist on coming to a place that their kind had been conditioned to hate for years.

Sure, the church had been built recently, but if the elderly people were anything to go off of, it was safe to assume that they had been living here and in a similar manner for years. The harder she thought on it, the more it added up in her favor. From the things that the townspeople had said, added to what Father Harel had eluded to, it made more sense for her case to be true.

The only inconsistency here was Jade.

Why would she insist on coming to a place she hated, especially when she knew about the people here? The harder Hope thought on it, the more it didn't make sense. There was no ulterior motive here, nothing that Jade could have gained that would have outweighed the cons. So, unless she was so sadistic that she was willing to suffer in order to do something like attempting to pull two demons down with her…

No, that didn't make sense. Why would Jade go through all of that just to pull what amounted to a prank? There had to be some sort of reason behind it…

Hope held her forehead, thinking harder. She felt like she was getting closer, the answer was within her grasp, but where the hell was her mind trying to tug her. Where was she trying to go, where was she trying to get…

… Where was she trying to go… Where was JADE trying to go…

It hit her so hard in that moment that she almost fell off of her chair.

Jesus, it made sense.

Hope shot up a bit faster than she had meant to, the sudden movement causing Corvus to shoot her a confused and slightly agitated look, "They've been gone for a while, don't you think?" Hope said, attempting to sound as casual as possible.

The awkward giggle that left her mouth, of course, did all it could to shatter that illusion.

"Yes, it would appear so." hope nearly flinched at the pure venom in his tone, "Of course, my opinion has yet to change from the last time you asked me that."

"Well… I'm going to go out and see if I can help Jade," Hope said, making her way to the door. She did her best not to look too frantic, hoping that she wasn't giving any sort of tells at the moment, "Maybe you could, I don't know, ask more people about whereabouts and what not?"  
"I thought we agreed that, if Father Harel said he knows nothing, no one else would have any ideas."

"God, I was just giving you some advice," Hope muttered, doing her best to grip the doorknob, willing her shaking hand to still, "I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll have Jade with me when I do."

"I would rather you don't," Corvus muttered, more to himself than Hope, "Fair warning, if you aren't here by the time Violet is finished, we're going to depart for Lindow without you."

"I would expect nothing else," Hope muttered, pushing the door open.

Closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but sigh, leaning against the wood. Last she checked, Jade had said that she'd be taking stables. Now that Hope thought about it, she couldn't help but curse herself.

Out of all of the locations, the stables were towards the outskirts of the town, far from most of everyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Hope walked down the stairs and out the door, tugging on her sleeves in order to keep herself grounded.

Hopefully, she'd find Jade before Corvus realized what was going on here.

* * *

In her hurried dash to get out of the room, she failed to notice the figure that stood in the darkened hallway, head down in order to conceal his face.

The figure watched her leave, before turning back to the wall. He continued on as he had been for the past three hours: pressing his ear against the thin walls in order to listen in on whatever they spoke of.

Not that he could hear much. As thin as the wall was, it was near impossible to hear any of their conversations. From what he could hear, it was difficult to string those sounds into words.

Perhaps they weren't speaking. Rather, they were doing another noisy activity, one where they would have to keep quiet in order to continue one without embarrassment…

The figure couldn't help but turn red at the thought, mentally chiding himself for putting his mind so deep down into the gutter.

He mumbled a prayer of forgiveness, before pressing his ear back to the wall once again, eyes pressed shut in order to better listen.

The dead silence was nothing if not dreadful, a foreboding air making his feel as if something wasn't quite right here. It was almost as if he himself were being watched…

No, that couldn't be it.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He jumped back from the wall, hand clasped over his mouth as he looked around the hallway. His surprise quickly turned to confusion, his head whipping from left to right in bewilderment. That was odd, it sounded as if the voice had come from right next to him…

Paying it no more attention, he pressed his ear back up against the wall, the silence now more dreadful than tedious.

The feeling of being watched only intensified, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling up as if to warn him.

He tried to pay it no heed, doing as Father Harel had told him to do. There was no reason to feel as if this was a wrong doing, ont in the slightest! If Father Harel told him to do it, than it had to be within good reason, regardless of it Father Harel told him so or not.

"Sir? You look quite pale. Are you alright?"

The figure nearly screamed again, albeit throwing himself from the wall in fright, hands thrown up in an attempt to defend himself from… Something.

God, was he going mad? Maybe Father Harel had been wrong in choosing him for this job. Afterall, going unnoticed was better suited to someone like Pearl or Franklin, not him.

He let out a harsh breath, mentally berating himself. No, he could do it, Father Harel had told him so, and Father Harel's words were law-

"Don't you know it's rude to try and eavesdrop?"

He didn't have time to register the sudden hit to the back of his neck, too far gone in his own head to allow him any sort of spatial awareness. He didn't have time to realize that he was now on the ground, his body unresponsive to his panicking mind. Instead, he watched the world go black, leaving him in the cold abyss of darkness.

* * *

Hope couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the lack of people.

The empty streets couldn't help but feel just a bit foreboding, and in all honesty, it was beginning to get to her nerves. It wasn't like she was looking forward to seeing any of the town's people, having had grown tired of being called a "sweet young lady" and whatnot.

Hope walked on, doing her best to keep her worries in. The silence only made each other noise sound that much louder.

She nearly jumped at the sound of something falling over, whipping around so quickly that hair ended up in her open mouth. She glared at the empty rusted can that had dared to follow over, laughing at herself awkwardly.

God, panic and anxiety had never been her best characteristics.

Granted, it had gotten better over the years. She liked to think that she wasn't the same timid maid as before, but… There were moments.

Moments she really wasn't proud of.

Shaking her head, she moved on, unwilling to think too hard on it. A lot had changed, it was as simple as that.

She rounded the corner, eyes going wide at the sight before her. The stables seemed to be abandoned to a point, the only sign of light being the sound of the horses from inside.

Hope couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive, slowly approaching the barn-like building. She walked towards the left, the side of the stables that were closest to the fences.

Turning the corner, she couldn't help but gasp, hands covering her mouth as she surveyed the damage.

It had looked like someone had exploded, if the blood and limbs were anything to go by. The green grass had been saturated in red, and- Jesus, was that a leg hanging from that branch!?

She barely noticed the dying man that had been leaning back on the barn, only noticing him when she realized that those ragged breaths weren't coming from herself.

Hope ran over, hands held out. She wanted to help, but it wasn't like she could really do much. If what looked to be fifty thousand stab wounds were anything to go by, the wheezing man didn't have much longer.

Hope couldn't help but look away from his glossing eyes, breath uneven and fading. Unable to come up with a better plan, she placed her fingers on his head, trying to concentrate.

This probably wouldn't work all that well, but if there was a chance that, maybe she could tap into what he last saw or possibly thought-

Hope gasped as she felt her body lurch forward, feeling as if she had been sucked into his head. After the disorientation, she could hear whispers of voices, as if people were shouting from afar.

"Oh God, it's gone mad!"

"Quickly, someone go and warn Father Harel!"

"It's attempting to escape! We need the Tenebris for backup!"

"Don't let it leave!"

Hope saw brief flashes, each of them a quick but vivid depiction of something striking down men left and right, mangled limbs being thrown about by the demon.

She watched as Jade rushed her, feeling one hand reach up to wrap around her neck, the other stabbing something repetitively into her abdomen. Hope could see the bloodlust in Jade's eyes, an almost maniacal joy that came from taking some pitiful human's life.

She watched as Jade threw the body backwards, looking around to make sure everyone was dead before running off towards the forest. She easily jumped the fence, dashing off into the foliage.

Hope shuddered like mad, her hands ripped away from the corpse in order to hold her own shoulders, before looking off in the direction Jade had run.

With a shaky sigh, Hope forced herself up to her feet, one hand bracing herself against the fence while the other helped to pull herself up.

Once up and over the fence, she looked around, eyes attempting to adjust to how dark is was in this part of the forest. It was almost as if the trees themselves didn't want Hope to find Jade.

With a huff, Hope pulled herself together, taking her first steps out onto the greenery. She stumbled over a rock, nearly tripping and falling on her face as her situation slowly but surely dawned on her. How the hell was she supposed to be able to track Jade down out-

 _"Fucking rocks, trying to make me trip and shit."_

The sudden voice scared her, nearly making her whip around in her own stupor. It almost sounded like Jade had been right behind her. Or, no, it was more like she could hear Jade in the back of her head.

She listened closely, eyes pressed close as she concentrated.

Come on, she was sure she wasn't crazy. She heard something, she just had to-

 _"Jesus, it smells like ass out here!"_

The voice sounded a bit softer this time, but no less there. Experimentally, Hope took a few steps forward, stopped, and listened once more.

 _"I wonder if they turned my shack into a bathroom. God, if they did, I'm going to bust in some heads."_

There it was again, but this time it was louder.

Hope took another step forward, then another, and before she knew it, she was running. She judged the distance from how Jade's voice sounded, like a game of Hot and Cold. The louder she got, the closer Jade was.

Or, at least, she hoped that that was the case.

* * *

"Spencer R Jones. My, that's quite a mouthful of a name, wouldn't you agree?"

The figure, striped of his robes, slowly woke to the sound of his name. He couldn't help but squint, the area around him black. No, it would be more accurate to call this place a void of color.

"Now then, Spencer, I hope you don't mind… But I have a few questions for you. For starters, I'd like to know what possessed you to want to stand in the hallway in such a manner?"

He tried to face the voice, only to have it echoed about the area around him, as if bouncing off of invisible walls.

"Don't pretend to be mute, now. I know you are able to speak, if your screaming from earlier were anything to go off of."

Spencer finally mustered enough courage to open his mouth, his voice coming out hoarse and raspy, "F-f-forgive me."

"Asking for forgiveness already?" The dark space echoed, a hint of amusement in its voice, "Do not mistake me for your maker, child."

"F-Father Harel sent me!" Spencer shouted, hands held up in fear, "H-h-he asked m-me to see if y-your group w-w-were redeemable!"

"...Redeemable, you say?"

"We needed t-to know, forgive m-m-me, we n-needed t-to know." Spencer mumbled, words falling into a continuous stuttering loop, hands shaking as he continued to stare off into the black abyss.

"Tell me," The voice spoke, tone both powerful and playfully malicious, "Do you believe demons to be redeemable?"

And that's when it hit him.

How there was only him and the void.

Chills ran down his spine as the gravity of his situation began to weigh on him.

It started with a slight exhale, slowly but surely working its way up to an off handed chuckle here and there.

The void seemed to take notice, "What's so funny?"

"This is all j-j-just a test, isn't it?" Spencer murmured, his words "This is all just a t-test. Of my faith. It's j-just as Father Harel said it w-would be."

"B-but you can't t-t-turn me, demon!" Spencer shouted, a mad cackle leaving his mouth, "You're not r-redeemable, but I a-am!"

At first, Spencer mistook the sound as a rumble, almost akin to an earthquake, with how it seemed to affect the negative space around them.

"Your kind's ability to find meaning in such irrelevant manners never ceases to be baffling."

It was laughing at him.

Spencer's deranged elation quickly turned sour, his fear momentarily forgotten in favor of this new fit of rage, "Baffling? Y-you think that we-re b-baffling?"

His only response was more of the odd echoing laughter.

"What's so f-funny!? There's n-nothing funny about my b-belief!" Spencer shouted, the laughter echoing in his head, the void seeming to bend against his will, "Y-you're unredeemable, y-you d-d-d-demon!"

The laughter got louder, growing pretentious and condescending.

"N-no amount of depreciative snickering is g-going to demoralize m-m-me!" Spencer shouted, as if raising his voice would be able to drown out the black around him, "Father Harel is r-right, he's always r-r-right! He's going to l-lead the redeemables t-towards the light! And n-nothing you do will be able to stop him!"

"Strong words for a frivolous being," The void mused, the chuckle in its voice evident, "I have no doubt that you'd be willing to kill yourself should this Father request it? All in the name of your God?"

"Without doubt." Spencer spat, his rage burning brighter from the strength of his faith.

The void got a good laugh out of that one, as if Spencer had just told the joke to end all jokes, "You are no better than the mindless slave to a king."

"If it means redemption and salvation, than I gladly take that title!" At this point, his throat was growing raw, but he really couldn't care less. He wasn't going to stand by and allow this blasphemous being to besmirch his faith!

Each second that the void shuddered with laughter only added fire to his faith's flames. Each snide remark only made his resolve stronger.

"You're just jealous, and I don't blame you! You wish for salvation, but unlike us, you'll never be able to obtain it!" Spencer went on, his mouth finding the courage to shout back at the void, "You're probably just bitter, knowing that there one only one person that could possibly be redeemed, and that it wasn't you!"

"You probably tried to use that little girl as a smokescreen," Spencer went on, oblivious to how the void's low chuckling had come to a halt, "But we'll save her from your grasp! We'll save her from your whole group! She will be redeemed, and then, you won't be able to hurt her anymore!"

"Oh, is the void out of words?" Spencer grinned, his voice light with glee, "Do you finally see the light? Can you finally see that you're wrong? It must hurt, knowing that you'll no longer be able to manipulate this little girl to your own sick and twisted will!"

Spencer was ready to go on, ready to castigate this stupid void in true biblical proportions, only to stop when something light landed on him. Confused, he reached up to grab the item, looking the black feather over with a sense of surprise and confusion.

Why was it suddenly raining feathers?

"You dare judge me in such a manner, y **ou low life vermin?"**

The voice reverberated loud and clear, coming back with the force of millions screaming out in anger.

Spencer quickly refreshed his mind to the definition of real fear.

 **"You DARE to insinuate that you know of my position? That you know of HER position?"**

Spencer didn't realize he had curled up on himself until something blasted his backwards, the black void flickering with shades of a violent dark purple.

Before Spencer knew it, he was on his hands and knees, head bowed as he beg, no, pleaded for mercy. He pleaded to be spared from the superior being. He felt as if he were staring death in the face, and death was NOT happy with him.

 **"Have you any idea what I could have done to you here? You'd be gone, and no one would be the wiser. You'd be wiped from the world, your existence as if it had never happened. I could kill you over, and over again, until there's only a sliver of what you once were."**

Spencer couldn't barely understand the incoherent babble streaming from his mouth, nor did he really notice the tears leaking down his face.

Honestly, in that moment, he was only sure of one thing:

He didn't want to die.

 **"Here's what's going to happen, you insolent swine,"** the void hissed, Spencer curling in on himself. He felt as if the space around him was closing it, choking him to the best of its ability, **"I'm going to kindly ask you where she is, and you're going to give me all the information that I need. Am I made clear, zealot?"**

Spencer didn't realize he was nodding until the void trembled once more, the laughter taking on a much more malevolent tone.

 **"Excellent. Oh, and, do me a favor."**

Spencer screamed as the black around him seeped into his arms and legs, holding him in place as the dark purple glared up from under him, his hands attempting to scrape and crawl his way out of its hold.

 **"Prove how truly religious you claim to be, zealot. Pray to your God, and tell me if he hears your screams."**

* * *

"Do you plan to stare at the sword for another hour, or are we going to start?"

Blythe scowled, pointing a murderous look straight at the Tenebris assassin, "It really wouldn't kill you if you tried to match your tone to your words. Besides, I just got here, give me a moment to warm up."

As much as Blythe hated the underground complex, she had to admit that they had a lot of free space. The training area wasn't too shabby in terms of space, but the lighting could have been a tiny bit better.

"I can see your mouth moving, but all I'm hearing is bullshit and excuses!" Cynthia grinned, whipping a chain weapon about, dancing as she swung the chains about, as if talking to Blythe was just some sort of second thought. She pranced about in the middle of the barren room.

Blythe grit her teeth, glaring at Cynthia's smug expression, "Ready." She growled lowly, standing up straight as she held her sword up and out.

She rolled her shoulders, eyes narrowed as she got into position. She scoffed at how Cynthia continued to play with her weapon, oblivious to her ready stance. If all Cynthia was going to do was frolic around like a child, she wasn't going to feel bad after-

Blythe nearly yelped, not noticing that Cynthia had thrown the ball end of her weapon, pulling the scythe handle back just in time to get the chain to wrap around her sword.

Blythe scowled, knocking out of her stupor just in time to pull her sword back, allowing a little cocky grin when Cynthia wasn't able to rip the weapon away.

"Wow, I can smell your ego from here, Bly!" Cynthia cackled, twisting her wrist around her chain, grabbing hold of it with a grin, "It's positively infuriating!"

With a tug, she pulled the ball from her sword, releasing the scythe in order to swing it about, lashing out at Blythe from a safe distance.

All the while, all Blythe could do was defend, no opening available to rush forward and attack. Her brain went into a sort of hyper mode, moving to block each swing of the scythe, barely noticing as Cynthia slowly got closer.

Finally able to time the attack, Blythe raised her sword, angeling the blade in order to catch the scythe rather than deflect it off. She leaned forward, ready to put her weight behind the strike, only to nearly fall forward in surprise, the scythe missing her sword by a few inches.

Before she could make fun of Cynthia's error, she felt something wrap around her front leg. She didn't even have time to realize she was falling backwards, all the weight put on her front foot being pulled forward quickly and violently.

She landed on the ground with a thud, only then realizing that she had fallen over, only to yelp as the blade of a scythe embedded itself into the floor two inches from her face.

Blythe couldn't help but groan, throwing her sword to the side in her irritation.

Blythe hated to admit it, but Cynthia's skill wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"Two minutes."

Blythe couldn't help but jump a bit, Cynthia's tone suddenly turning cold, almost bitter, "What?"

"You lasted about two minutes, give or take." Cynthia went on, giggling despite how frigid her voice sounded at the moment.

"This is just practice," Blythe scowled, waving it off before going to pick her sword back up, "Now I know more and I can do better. This is just practice, after all."

"That's not my point." Cynthia grinned, her expression a far cry from her tone, "How do you expect to be able to defeat a demon when you can't beat me? I haven't even taken my magic muscle meds yet, and you're nowhere near close to landing a hit on me!"

"Magic muscle- What are you talking about?" Blythe muttered, holding her head. God, the real challenge here was attempting to stick with Cynthia in a conversation.

"You're not really trying, are you?" Cynthia leered, her grin growing more menacing by the second, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that your mind is elsewhere. Not very professional of you now, is it?"

"Then let's go again!" Blythe barely had time to raise her sword, the ball end of the chained weapon whipping around to hit her in the thigh, nearly causing her to buckle from the sudden hit.

"Hey, you can't just-." Blythe never got to finish that sentence, yelping as the chain wrapped around her waist, pulling her forward with a harsh tug. The chain forced Blythe to spin, all of her attention going into not falling over. Before Blythe could attempted to regain balance, Cynthia threw her foot out in a sort of stomp motion, throwing the bottom of her boot right into Blythe's stomach.

Blythe groaned, curling up on the ground as she squeezed her eyes shut, "You're either cocky or detached," Cynthia chided, cooing as if she were talking to a child, "Granted, I believe both to be true. Both are traits of a leader, but not necessarily a good one."

"The hell-." Blythe tried to ask, only to be interrupted by a series of coughing. Honestly, Blythe wasn't sure if she should be surprised to find an organ or two ruptured from that kick.

"How do I put this… I can't help but think that the Tenebris twins appointed you as leader by mistake," Cynthia said, a humorless chuckle following her rather giddy voice, "I mean, going off of Penketh, maybe they chose you based off of your survival streak!"

Blythe growled, using her sword to help her stand back up, "You have NO right to speak about that." She hissed angrily, glaring the other woman down.

"I'm just saying," Cynthia spat the words out, only to turn around with a giggle in her voice, "No wonder you haven't properly mourned for them. Family or not, it's clear that you didn't really appreciate any of them, much less love them."

"Shut up!" Blythe shouted, the curtain of hair over her left eye being pushed to the side, anger evident in her grey eyes, "You have no right-."

"God, do you say anything else?" Cynthia chuckled, her grin looking near painful as she draped her weapon over her shoulders, "Do you plan to bitch, moan and cry for the rest of practice, or are you gonna-?"

Blythe rushed forward, sword aimed to kill. Cynthia had grown cocky herself, not having enough time to react. Hell, even if she did, there would be little to no way that she'd be able to block with her weapon wrapped around her neck.

Blythe let out a shriek of rage, thrusting her sword point right into Cynthia's gut…

Only to have Cynthia grip the blade before it could make contact. Blythe could only stare at Cynthia's hand, slowly becoming coated in a thin veil of red, before letting out a squeal of surprise when Cynthia guided the blade onwards, moving her body to the side in order to throw the sword forward, Blythe still attached to it.

Blythe crumbled back to the ground, her knees skinned along with the bottom of her palms. Her hair fell over her face like a curtain.

"Wow, you surprised me there, Denholm!" Cynthia cackled, giggling as she looked her hand over, her grin oblivious to the rather deep cut, "Coming out at me like that, while reckless, was quite a nice turn!"

"Damn, are those tears? Are you about to snap, Bly?" Cynthia murmured, voice soft and almost comforting if not for her grin, "For someone who claims to be physically strong, you seem VERY emotionally weak."

"Look at that, you're hands are shaking, your eyes are watering!" Cynthia seemed fairly excited, as if she was about to witness a once in a lifetime event, "Aww, you look like you're on the brink of emotional collapse! It's adorable!"

Blythe tried to talk back, spit something out with enough venom and hostility to kill Cynthia on the spot, only to roll over instead, attempting to both get back up and hide her disgusting display of weakness.

"Aww, is little Bly going to cry?" Cynthia cooed, giggling as she used her foot to roll Blythe over, bending down in order to move the hair from Blythe's face, "Go on, I want to watch. Maybe you're more human than you'd like to let on."

Blythe's only response was reaching up to grab that stupid red scarf around Cynthia's neck, pulling her down to the ground as she rolled over. Rage burned behind Blythe's watery eyes, her mouth twisted into an expression of pure rage.

"NEVER speak of them again," Blythe spat, the tears in her eyes making her vision blurry. If the way her voice was shaking was anything to go by, she was on the brink of emotional collapse, "Do you hear me!? If I so much as HEAR you speak of them-."

Just then, Cynthia's bloodied hand came up to grab Blythe's wrist, her cold fingers nearly crushing the bones in Blythe's arm.

Her grin had yet to change, but the way that her teeth were bared, almost akin to an animal.

"Maybe no one told you, kid," Cynthia's scowled, her voice a void of any sort of emotion, eyes filling with pure animosity, "But no one touches the scarf."

Cynthia flung herself to the left, using the momentum to throw Blythe's face into the ground, Cynthia up on one knee.

Wordlessly, both of Cynthia's hands came to wrap around Blythe's neck, she rocked back onto her heels, standing up with Blythe still in tow.

All the while Blythe struggled to free herself from Cynthia's grip, her hands uselessly clawing at Cynthia's own, the warmth of Cynthia's blood on her neck making her all the more woozy.

Cynthia watched with soulless eyes, a flicker of enjoyment somewhere in the void of emotion. They looked foggy almost, as if she herself were lost in her head.

The moment seemed the drag on for hours, only to have it end in seconds with the sound of a bell. The fog in Cynthia's eyes cleared, dropping Blythe unceremoniously to the ground, "Well, I guess the twins are ready to talk about the Op!" She giggled happily, ignoring Blythe as she pranced over to the door, her kusarigama still draped over her neck, "Hurry it up now, Bly! If that demon gets there before us, then I'm never going to hear the end of it!"

Cynthia turned to leave the area, unsympathetic to how Blythe had curled up into the fetal position, rocking herself back and forth as she forced her emotions back down, eyes wide and threatening to spill tears.

* * *

 **Whoops, I totally didn't mean for this chapter to take two weeks instead of one.**

 **Honestly, I might just have a week where I just upload four or five times. Thanks to this week's late update, I've kinda sorta ended up pre-writing a bunch of chapters, and the only reason I haven't done that yet is because, in the past, things end up getting mixed up and get put in the wrong places.**

 **I don't know, I mean, who knows what I could do next. You don't, I don't. Hell, the next chapter could be some sort of cop out ending, cause I know how much everyone likes the "it was all a dream" ending.**

 **...Nah, I'm kidding, I wouldn't do that to you guys.**

 **I think.**

 **At least, the me at this very moment wouldn't do that.**

 **That's too easy.**

 **...ANYWAY, hope you guys enjoyed, cya next chappie!**

 **Bai bai!**


	19. His Fair Lady, Blazing

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **Honestly got nothing to really say here besides the usual, this took long, I'm slowly but surely burning out, yadda yadda yadda...**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet was getting really tired of having these "out-of-body" experiences.

Her senses felt as if they didn't match up with what and where she was. She felt hands grab her shoulders and attempted to fight back, only to have someone shout and have more hands hold her down.

She struggled and fought, panic slowly creeping up her neck as more hands came about to hold her down. She could hear hushed whispers mixing with rushed orders, only to yelp at the prick of pain in her neck.

From there, Violet felt as if she were going through perception whiplash.

Each time she blinked, she was in a new place. First, she had a glorious view of the stairs, her vision rattling and shaking with the footsteps of whoever had her thrown over their backs.

Blink.

She was back in the main cathedral's room, if the bright lights and golden browns were anything to go off of. She had the full view of the communion table, or at least, she was pretty sure that's what it was called. She could hear people talking, but it was all too soft and distorted to really understand.

Blink.

She was outside, if the treeline and the greenery was anything to go off of. Going off of the towering shadow before her, they were probably somewhere near the towering church. There were voices again, but this time there seemed to be too many to understand, the voices a giant tangled mess she couldn't even begin to unravel.

Blink.

It looked like they had gone a little deeper into the forest, the shadow of the church still dancing just outside of her vision. There were multiple robed figures walking about, each of them scurrying around in order to do… Something.

Blink.

She was lying down on a table, the clear blue sky obscured by the verdant leaves above her. It felt strangely cold, with the occasional gust of wind making her skin crawl. She could see faint flickers of reds and oranges in her peripheral view, the colors giving her a strange sense of comfort and warmth despite how agitated everything else felt.

The whispering wasn't doing much to help her growing unrest. She knew people were around her, she could hear them, but not being able to see them made her all the more dread-induced.

No matter the panic rising in her chest, Violet couldn't move. She could barely bring herself to blink every now and then,

Something as simple as breathing was more of a hassle than she had hoped it would be.

 _All of this from a single injection? You have to admit, that's a bit pathetic._

Violet really didn't want to put up with this satirical side of her mind, but at the moment, that seemed to be the only part "awake" at the moment.

 _Well? What's the plan?_

Violet thought on it, eyes staring straight up at the greens and blues above her. Honestly, she had no clue what to do. While this wasn't her first time of what felt like a sacrificial table, it was the first time that it didn't appear to be some sort of hoax.

 _Nothing? Really? Not even the slight formulation of a plan?_

Violet was beginning to grow irritated with this part of her mind. No, as a matter of fact, she didn't have a plan! It was a bit difficult to come up with one since panic and dread instead decided to fill her rational thought.

God, she was beginning to miss that vulgar side of her mind.

 _Trust me, I'm more help than she is._

Violet sincerely doubted it.

Regardless of her useless self-induced bickering, Violet needed to find a way out of this.

Blink.

Huh? That was weird, Violet thought, attempting to blink again only to be met with more darkness. Was that injection so strong that, for some reason, she couldn't blink anymore?

God, how long would it take for her to stop breathing?

How long would it take for her heart to stop beating?

How long would it take-

 _Stop panicking. You're going to force your body to attempt hyperventilation. It won't be pretty._

Violet couldn't help but imagine herself snidely shooting this part of her head a nasty look, daring it to come up with some better plan at the moment.

Let me take control.

…What? Violet couldn't help the confusion she felt. What was her mind trying to say? Hell, how would that even work? Was she not already in control? Who wanted control? Why was she getting confused over the idea of giving up control to herself? Why was everything slowly but surely becoming more convoluted? Was it just-?

 _Stop asking the unnecessary questions and focus._

Violet quelled her confused panic, instead focusing on "the important bits". How would this even work?

 _It'll be simple, like falling asleep._

Violet couldn't help but become more confused. For some reason, a part of her did NOT like this idea.

 _Do you have any better ideas?_

Violet wanted to object. This was all just some sort of elaborate dream, wasn't it? All of this was an attempt to understand herself deeper, nothing more than some elaborate dream formed from her fear induced mind.

 _Stop that, you're spiraling. You're going to lose yourself, and we're going to end up dead. Focus._

No, how the hell was Violet supposed to focus? What the hell was she supposed to be focusing on!?

 _We don't have time for this._

Before Violet could interject, she felt something cold brush up against her spine.

 _I do not wish to die, not like this._

Violet wanted to argue, but this part of her head didn't allow her that luxury.

 _You may not care, but I have questions that need to be answered. I REFUSE to die before I am able to get what I need._

She wasn't sure if she would have been able to match the level of fear she had earlier, but this was easily dethroning her previous trepidation.

 _I will remove all obstacles, even if it's myself._

It felt cold, why did it feel so cold!?

 _So, if you won't give me control, I'll TaKE iT BY ForCE._

Before Violet could fight, she felt something cold grasp her soul, a sharp tug by this cold hand flinging her into a blinding light. It felt as if someone had unplugged her from her body, and with each passing second, she lost more of her conscious.

Right before the blinding light took over, Violet could hear the voice mutter to itself, sounding both irritated yet relieved.

 _Don't worry, I will assure our survival._

* * *

Despite his casual air and professional mannerisms, Corvus hated how the slight shake of his gloved hand could give him away.

While terrorizing the man had been more fun than he thought possible, he couldn't help but feel a bit… shaken. No, that wasn't the right word, it felt more like he could see the whole picture now. Up until now, there was something wrong with this whole town that felt out of place, but he couldn't really place a finger over what it was.

As he approached the tree line, he couldn't help but feel as if he was now not only staring at that one thing out of place, but he was staring at it through a magnifying glass.

Personally, he didn't care for what the town had done. After hundreds of thousands of years, not much could really perplex him. Sure, morally what they did could be considered wrong, but he was going to be the absolute last person to tell someone right from wrong.

Corvus stepped over the low fence, each step feeling heavier than the last. While he couldn't care less for what the town decided to do with their free time, it became a whole other situation when Violet was involved.

If what Spencer had said was anything to work off of, he didn't want to think about what would happen should the town's people do as they pleased with Violet.

What if they killed her?

Corvus shook his head, dismissing the thought as quickly as possible.

Walking on, he froze at the sudden surge of… Light. There was no other way to describe it, it felt as if he had been hit with the full power of the sun, somehow feeling both intensely hot and unnaturally cold.

His pace could not have changed gears faster, his once slow and precise footsteps forgotten as his dress shoes trampled the grass below them.

He did his best to ignore the need to run in the opposite direction, his mind demanding that this power was NOT to be approached. He nearly had to force himself to stand his ground, teeth grint as he fought off his inner sense of fight or flight.

Another wave of light finally got him to continue on, an arm held over his face in order to keep from going blind.

When he finally made it, he couldn't help but stand there, eyes wide with shock.

The whole area looked like it had been primed for a sacrifice, only to have it go horribly wrong. The white satin table cover was stained red, the candles giving off an eerie glow rather than a calming light. Robed bodies littered the ground, the red dying the grass a sick-looking brown.

Standing in the middle of it all, back turned to Corvus, Violet stood.

"My lady," Corvus said, relief flooding his system as he took a step closer, "We should depart immediately. There is nothing here on Su-."

His relief turned to dread as another pulse of light shot out from her being, the shockwave nearly blowing him back. How did he not notice the light that was coming off of her? Violet had an air about her, almost as if she were ethereal, in a sense. Her clothing was billowing out gently, as if she were standing on top of a light breeze. Come to think of it, she wasn't standing at all, her pointed toes hovering just a few inches off of the ground.

Corvus took a cautious step closer, now understanding why his mind screamed at him to run. She looked as she did when Jade had tried to get information out of her, Violet looking stronger now than she had back then.

She was radiating angelic power, her light alone nearly forcing Corvus to his knees. The only thing that kept Corvus moving forward was his own resolve, his need to bring Violet back down to earth.

Ever so slightly closer, he could hear quiet babbling, akin to the gurgling noises that a newborn makes. Tilting his head ever so slightly, his eyes met with Father Harel's watery ones, the man looking stuck on his knees.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Corvus couldn't help but be taken aback by the man's complete change in tone. This man, the very one who had been revered as the leader of this town, reduced to a sobbing mess, begging for mercy, "It was all for the best, all we ever did was for the best!"

 _"So you chose to sacrifice children?"_

Corvus couldn't help but mad shiver that ran down his spine. The voice coming from Violet's mouth was so far removed from her own. The inflictions and tone were all wrong, making her sound more like a powerful being looking down on a pest.

This wasn't Violet, nor was it Kuro.

 _"You claim to be a man of God,"_ Violet went on, the scoff in her voice evident with the way she flicked her hand to the side, another shock wave of light shooting through the air, _"You claim to put the people before yourself. And yet, here you are, indifferent to the sacrifices these people were forced to make at your command."_

"I lost just as much as they did!" Father Harel screamed, tears flowing freely before throwing his hands over his face, "Everything I asked of them I endured as well! It was the best way to keep the demons away, it was the best thing for the town!"

 _"That does not excuse the execution of children!"_ Violet shouted, tone adding fury to her already belittling words, _"You had your own daughter killed, and then your wife executed when she attempted to oppose you. If the death of your family was nothing more than a power play, than I can only see you as less than a sinner. There's a special place in hell reserved for people like you."_  
"B-but...I...I…" Father Harel muttered, barely able to get words out with how hard he was stuttering. Corvus could only watch as the Father threw his head back, hands shaking, "I had to do it! I had to get the Tenebris support us! They promised to keep Tarrin safe, to build a church for us once we were able to prove our loyalty! As the leader of Tarrin-."

He was cut off by the chuckling noises that Violet made, the sound a void of humor, _"Leader? You call yourself a leader? A leader would NOT have his followers kill their children to build a church, to gain the favor of the people who suggested such an act in the first place! Tell me, Father, do you think the people would have followed you if they knew the true reason behind their children's sacrifices?"_

"I…" Father Harel murmured, only to go silent. He stared at the ground he knelt on, as if looking directly at Violet was too much to bear, "I didn't… Sutton told me it was for the best, he told me that this would all ensure that Tarrin lived on."

Corvus could see how Violet's fist clenched at the mention of the name. All this time, Father Harel had truly known more than he dared to let on. This whole operation, from the sacrifices to the church being built, it had all been Sutton.

This whole time, Violet was staring the answer in the face, and Corvus could see how much that was beginning to get to her.

"It was all for the best, I swear!" Father Harel sobbed, his voice taking on a pleading tone as he inched closer, holding his hands out as if he was trying to pray for forgiveness, "I had only good intentions for this town! I wanted what was best for the people, by any means necessary!

 _"Do not try to justify yourself. Your wants outweighed those around you; you're just a greedy man who didn't like people telling him he was wrong."_

"I did what was best for the people! I made the choice that they could not, for the betterment of the rest of us!"

 _"You had no right to make that decision."_

"It was all in good faith, I had only good intentions. I did what I had to do."

 _"Excuses."_

Father Harel opened his mouth once more, most likely to either beg for forgiveness or attempt to further rationalize his actions, only to have Violet cut him off with a single raised hand.

 _"You should not waste time attempting to change my mind,"_ Violet said, her tone sounding cold and conclusive, as if she no longer cared for where this conversation went, _"My mind is made up, my conclusion final. You've done horrible things, Father Harel, and for that, I extend my condolences."_

Corvus had to look away, the light growing brighter. He could barely hear Father Harel's scream over the blood roaring in his ears, the light making it near impossible to look directly at Violet.

By the time the light died down, Corvus felt as if he would soon go blind. White dotted his vision, inducing a feeling of vertigo so intensely that he nearly threw up.

He didn't need to look to know that Father Harel was no longer there, instead reduced to a pile of smoking ash.

Finally fighting off his nausea, Corvus steadied himself. As softly as he could, he called Violet's name.

The moment she turned around, a shiver shot through Corvus' body.

The light itself had died down immensely, instead adding to the ethereal glow. Her eyes were her eyes were milky white, as if the light she were exuding had made her blind. Upon closer inspection, he could see swirls of a deep violet. It was so like Kuro, but completely different. While Kuro had looked full of life, this color made him chilled to the bone, the deep hue feeling dull and lifeless.

He called her name once more, hating how his voice shook ever so slightly. He had meant to sound comforting, holding a hand out for her to take.

Her eyes looked at him with a hint of confusion, as if not recognizing him. Her hand looked like it wanted to take his, but her arm refused to move.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Corvus said softly, trying to lull her into some sense of safety, "I won't let anything hurt you."

 _"And if I were to hurt you?"_

The words, although feeling genuine with concern, sounded like a threat with how void her tone was.

"You wouldn't do that." Corvus worded carefully.

 _"You don't believe that."_

"Violet wouldn't do that," Corvus corrected, his hand still held out, "Violet does not need to do that."

He felt her stare him down, eyes evaluating him for his worth, before shaking her head.

 _"Don't say I didn't warn you."_

With that, her eyes closed. Corvus nearly had to leap forward in order to catch her, ensuring that she wouldn't collapse onto the reddened ground.

Corvus held her close, pushing her face into his shoulder as if she'd wake up and stare in horror at their current surroundings. He didn't even realize that he had been petting her head until she shifted in his head, moving to poke her nose against his neck. Her breathing was soft and slow, most likely having just entered a deep sleep.

Corvus let out a sigh, a tremendous weight finally removed from his shoulders as he held Violet close. He wasn't going to let any more harm come to her, he had promised it.

Stepping out and around the scattered bodies, he took one last look at the church. Shaking his head, he instead turned north, beginning the long walk to Lindow.

* * *

"How much longer is she going to take?"

"I don't know. I thought Blythe was right behind me, honest."

Taking a deep breath, Blythe did all she could to make herself look presentable before pushing the large wooden door open, "I apologize for being late." She said, voice sounding automated.

She took in the room, lit by torches and candles. In the middle of the room was a large table, headed by two occupied thrones.

Cynthia sat on the table, next to Taylor's throne.

"And here we thought you had decided to run away," The demon scoffed, not bothering to make eye contact with Blythe, "Pity."

"Now now, Mr. Faustus," Cynthia purred, her smile wide as she slipped off the table, tutting as if scolding a child, "No need to demean the kid. She's just late, is all."

Somehow, Cynthia managed to sound more belittling than the demon ever could have. Before Blythe could say anything, Tyler cleared her throat, "Now that everyone is here, shall we move forward?"

"Of course!" Cynthia grinned, walking around the table, eyes fixed on the map like a wolf hunting a rabbit, "As I'm sure we're all aware, we've managed to narrow our guess as to where Swinford is located."

"How have you managed to do that?" Blythe couldn't help but wonder aloud. She'd heard little about the fabled town, but what she did know was that most of the "replaceable units" were sent into the forest area in order to try and pinpoint the location.

Being how they had been working on this for at least five years, it was safe to say that most of Tenebris believed the place to be fake.

"We were able to hand out a different type of transmitter to the last five teams," Cynthia explained, her voice sounding almost fake as she grinned. Blythe couldn't help but cringe a bit when Cynthia looked her dead in the eye, "Decided to track them, basically. The tech isn't the best, but we don't provide for our smart guys to sit around in a dark room and cry, isn't that right?"

Blythe wasn't sure if that had been pointed directly at her or not. Regardless, she didn't like it.

"Anyway," Cynthia went on, dancing around the corner on the table, only to come to a stop next to the golden-eyed demon, "We were able to track and see where most of the "lost men" had not only went, but also where their trackers went out."

"From there, we were able to draw up a map of where most of them disappeared!" Cynthia grinned, pointing to the red dots and circles that had been drawn on the map, "As you can see, this is where the most signals were lost. Being how this is what the brainacks call an 'accumulated map', this shows how many people have lost transmission and where."

"And how do we know that they just turned their transmitters off?" Blythe couldn't help but bring up. The way that Cynthia walked and talked always irritated her, but after that training session, she couldn't help but hate her more. She thought herself so superior, talking down to them in such a manner.

If she had the chance to knock her down a peg or two, she'd be all for it.

"The transmitters don't just 'turn off', silly!" Cynthia grinned, her tone slowly turning cold, "Each one has a life of about two days, three if you're lucky. All of these signals went out between half and hour and two hours, averaging out to about one hour before going out. Being how this area here is where the time of transmitter death averages out to similar times, not to mention we tend to lose the most people here, I'd bet that this is most likely where Swinford is hiding."

"How can we be sure of that?" Blythe shot, watching as Cynthia's expression went from gleeful to confused. Good, it served her right, "What if this data is wrong? We'll end up pouring resources into an operation

"Well, if that's the case, then it isn't my fault. I'm just presenting off of what the smart guys said."

Blythe couldn't help but scowl, looking off at a dark corner. Of course she would find a way to shift blame.

"Moving on," Cynthia said, as if Blythe hadn't interrupted her, "We won't be 'pouring resources'. In fact, my plan is dependent on making sure only a small group goes looking for and storming Swinford."

"Regardless, resources are resources. Wasting even a little would-."

"You're not listening, Bly!" Cynthia insisted, voice sounding cheerful yet clipped. Her eyes burned with irritation, "You see-."

"As interesting as this all is, I don't think you need to waste more time on this part, Cyn." Taylor yawned, eyes daring anyone else to speak up against her, "I'd rather not waste more time on this part."

"I, for one, agree with that notion." Claude muttered, refusing to look at anyone but Tyler, "I'd rather not waste more time than I must."

"I don't remember anyone asking for your opinion on the matter, demon." Blythe hissed.  
"Do not speak as if you haven't been throwing in your own thoughts," Claude was quick to retort, rolling his eyes, "You've done nothing but attempt to derail this whole plan. That, of which, we've yet to be able to hear."

"Listen here, demon-."

"Cyn," Tyler murmured, his normally cold temperament slowly turning irked, "if you'd be so kind as to go on before these two try to kill each other?"

"Of course, lord Tenebris!" Cynthia chuckled, bending over in a deep bow, before turning back to the other two, "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Assholes and dipshits of all ages!" Cynthia grinned, throwing her hands up and out in a grand gesture, "I give you, Operation: Pig Slaughter!"

Her presentation was met with silence.

Cynthia huffed, casting Claude an exaggerated glare, "What, not even a single clap?"

"Get on with it." Claude sighed, the words forcing themselves out of his mouth as quickly as possible.

"Anyway, without further adieu," Cynthia grinned, flexing her fingers as she gestured to the three of them, "This plan is dependent on all three of us: The Tenebris Takedown Team!"

"...That's a stupid title."

"I know what you're thinking," Cynthia went on, blatantly ignoring what Blythe had said, "You're thinking, 'How are we supposed to find Swinford and capture the demons? We still don't have an exact placement for the town, and while we've managed to narrow the search circle to about a fifth of the forest, that's still a large section'."

"That's the exact question plaguing my mind." Blythe prided her own sarcasm, but this demon was blowing her out of the water.

"Fear not, the Operation is simple!" Cynthia insisted, turning to shoot Blythe a wink, "Honestly, Blythe is going to end up doing most of the work!"

"Excuse me?"

"You're supposed to be good at sensing demons, right, Denholm?" Cynthia said, her tone suddenly dropping to cold. Blythe hated when Cynthia would do that, unsure what emotions she was trying to convey, as well as how to respond (besides with anger, of course).

"Yes, I am able to sense the presence of demons." Blythe finally said when Cynthia wouldn't look away, her cold gaze making her uncomfortable.

"Then we use that to find Swinford," Cynthia reasoned, pointing to the map once more, "We get to this part, and Blythe will lead us from there."

"Say that we get there," Claude muttered, "Say we find this 'Swinford'. What then? You say that this plan was made to save resources and capture demons. How do you suppose we do that? Even if I am of a higher grade than these demons are sure to be, I'm not sure how such an altercation would result."

"Trust me, I've got that part under control." Cynthia insisted, her cheerful voice a complete contrast to how threatening her words sounded, "You don't need to worry your pretty little head, I won't let them mob you, I promise."

"Do NOT speak down to me." Claude hissed.

Cynthia only laughed, poking his nose before moving on, "It's very simple. Blythe, you'll find the place. Claude: You'll be assisting me to make sure that none of them escape. Obviously, I'll be the head of this whole operation."

"...Yeah, I don't know about that." Blythe mumbled, almost missing the look Cynthia shot her.

"Well, good thing I'm not looking for your approval on the matter." Cynthia shot right back.

"Girls, please." Tyler mumbled, holding his forehead with one hand, before turning to Taylor, "I believe that we should speak further on this. I like the plan, but maybe we could go over a few adjustments?"

"Agreed," Taylor nodded, before giving Blythe and Claude a look, "You two are dismissed. Cynthia, be a dear and close the door behind them."

"Of course!" Cynthia saluted, before turning to the other two, "Go on now, you children go outside and play, get some sunlight!"

Before Blythe could retort about how she was nothing like a child, she found herself pushed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her. Blythe couldn't help but scowl, glaring at the door as if that would do something to Cynthia.

God, she hated her.

"Pathetic."

Blythe ignored the demon next to her, instead moving away from the door. She already had one Cynthia to deal with, she didn't want another.

"Here I thought you were Blythe Lee Denholm, the leader of the Denholm hunters. Aren't leaders supposed to be good at asserting yourself?"

Blythe wanted to know where he got that information, only remember how little she cared, "Buzz off, spider boy, I don't remember asking for your opinion."

"Someone's a bit testy," Claude murmured, the shadow of a smirk on his face, "I would be too if someone like Cynthia talked down to me in such a way."

"I don't want to hear it." Blythe muttered, quick to cut him off. She wasn't dumb, she knew EXACTLY what he was trying to do.

"So you're content to sit by and allow her to do that to you?" Claude murmured, shaking his head as he followed her down the hallway, "And here I thought you were someone with at least an ounce of self respect."

"Listen here, demon." Blythe sniped right back, spinning on her heel in order to poke her finger right up into his face, "I'm many things, but a fool isn't one of them. I'm not naïve; I know exactly what you're trying to do. While I don't know why, I can see you trying to put the pieces into place. So, since I'm not a complete soulless being, I'll give you a fair warning."

"You WON'T be pulling any strings here. Try all you want, but if you try and play puppeteer with me, I won't hesitate to put you in your place."

"Oh?" Claude murmured, his eyes daring her to go on, "And, do tell, what do you think my place is?"

"On your knees, begging for your life." Blythe spat, "And that's putting it nicely. I won't hesitate to kill you, and should you try to cross me again, I will be sure to properly assert myself."

She glared the demon down, watching how the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. She dared him to say something, anything. She wanted a reason to rip out some teeth.

"Alright."

She pushed down her shock, backing off in order to give him space, "I do believe that we've reached an understanding." She said, tone measured and strict.

"It would appear so."

"Good." With that, Blythe walked off, scowl cemented on her face. She had better things she could do, and as far as she was concerned, the demon could be someone else's problem.

Walking away from him, she failed to notice the smug smirk on Claude's face, a hand coming up to fix the glasses to the bridge of his nose.

"How entertaining."

* * *

 **Since I know someone's gonna say it, I'll steal the joke before you can:**

 **Hahahaha, in an alternate dimension, Violet ends up getting high and the rest of the fic through her point of high view. Hahahahaha, *Insert weed jokes here***

 **There, I ruined it.**

 **.** **..ANYWAY, hope you guys enjoyed, cya next chappie!**

 **Bai bai!**


	20. His Fair Lady, Rebooting

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **Jesus FUCK this took a long time.**

 **While I'm not proud of it or anything, I'm content.**

 **So, here, have it.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet blinked.

The blinding white light had yet to go down, in fact, it felt as if it were growing brighter by the second.

How the color white could somehow get whiter, Violet really had no clue.

So, imagine her surprise when she blinked and didn't see anything but the blinding white light.

Er, there was still a lot of white light everywhere, but it wasn't nearly as garish and blinding.

No, instead, she found herself back in a familiar-looking dorm-like room, legs bringing her to the door before pushing it open.

Unlike the last time, this time her surroundings looked a bit more focused. The last time she had seen this place, everything looked and felt foggy. She'd been able to see the faint outlines of walls and corners, but she didn't remember being able to see the intricate engraved designs on the walls, nor could she recall the presence of windows.

Thankfully, she didn't have to futilely fight her body to look out the window, relieved when she walked to look out to see… Clouds.

...That was honestly it. There were just a lot of clouds outside. Granted, if she squinted, she could make out what was possibly a few rooftops, but other than that, the only thing out there that somehow managed to also serve as the ground and floor were clouds.

Honestly, Violet wasn't really sure what the expect.

Instead, her point of view got whipped around, eyes downcasted as she walked on. She watched as she pulled and tugged at her sleeves, almost in a nervous manner. She...No, this person...Who she was experiencing through?

No, that wasn't right. None of this right. She was in a body that she couldn't control. She was just along for the ride, wasn't she? God, was any of this real? Was anything she was seeing real? Was SHE real? Was she-

Violet took a moment to breathe, assessing what she knew before her brain exploded.

This wasn't her. She was glad that that phrase didn't take as long to process as it once had, but didn't have much time to think more on it.

All of this, everything here, it wasn't her. She was looking at something from someone else, or something that her brain thought interesting to formulate. She didn't want to think about a deeper meaning to all of this, she didn't want to wonder if it truly was a gift like her parents insisted or a curse like she had. She didn't want to think about how they could be warnings for the future, or prophecies for something great to come.

As far as she was concerned, none of this was real, so calming down would be the best thing at the moment.

With the threat of a panic attack gone, she tried to focus on what she "knew". She knew that, at one point, this person she was "in" had been named. Now, what was that name…

"Oh my God, Arita!?"

...Well, that was easy.

Violet couldn't help but feel a little sick when her point of view whipped up, eyes locking on this new angel. She seemed bubbly and sweet, with how her hair was braided in an almost princess-like manner. Her eyes sparkled with light, Violet feeling that, if she looked directly at her, she'd go blind.

This angel exuded confidence, joy and kindness, and honestly, Violet kinda liked it.

 _"What an absolute nuisance."_

The angel giggled, "It's me, remember? Laila Lux? We're in the same class!"

"...Ah, of course. How could I forget someone with your… Sparkle?"

Violet didn't know why, but hearing this monotone voice say the word "sparkle" nearly made her snort.

"It means a lot to me that you remember me, Arita!" the angel went on, giggling into the back of her hand, "I mean, you're quite a legend and all in our class. Receiving the Laurel Crest like that, and from our very own _Priorum_ Cathetel Lux, no less! God, the only best of the main four coming down to our class to bestow such an honor upon you, you must feel quite honored!"

 _"I do wish she'd move. I have places to be."_

Another violent chuckle nearly ripped itself from Violet. She was never the best at it, but Arita's brand of dry humor was going to be the death of her at this point.

"You sure did set the bar quite high, Ari! You're now one of the three _Vindex_ members of Lux, and on top of it all, your name is constantly thrown about the whole facility! EVERYONE either knows your name or what you did! Honestly, you've left us with quite the standard."

 _"I think I liked her more when she was on the other side of the classroom."_

"But, of course, I don't know how our _Summus Domina_ Lux would feel if she found out that her Laurel Crest receiver has been skipping class," Laila went on, her smile flickering between overjoyed to fake and forced, "Personally, I don't think that that's much of a good look for you, Ari. Of course, it isn't like you have to worry too much; it isn't like some nobody from the other Houses are anything compared to a Lux angel such as us, but you know how our House is known to be a bit… Competitive."

 _"It's so funny when she tries to be threatening."_

"Not that I'm trying to intimidate you, or anything-."

 _"Bullshit."_

"But I am saying that following up your little stunt in the dungeons by skipping out on classes and whatnot, it doesn't make you look all that good." Laila placed a hand under her chin, shooting a childish pout as she batted her eyelashes, "Why, just yesterday I was able to set a new record on the purity test! Sorry, but I kinda blew your previous score right out of the water!"

 _"Now that I'm this close to her, I think I've managed to pinpoint the part of her that's bothering me: her left eye in a little higher than her right."_

Try as she might, Violet couldn't contain the snort in time.

"Sir Zadkiel said that, if my scores continue on this way, I have a great chance of achieving the Laurel Crest for myself! Of course, it's not like I'm even trying my absolute hardest yet! I have so much more to give, so much more to demonstrate!"

 _"I wonder if she tries to use make-up to cover it."_

"You better watch out, Arita! I could end up taking your spot one day!" No matter how hard she tried, Violet couldn't unhear the malice and loathing in her laugh. The sparkle in this angel's eyes, somehow, grew dark and cold.

 _"I wonder if anyone has ever gotten the chance to tell her that BEFORE she decided to open her mouth."_

Yep, nope, the fear was now long gone. Thanks, Arita.

"Sorry, am I boring you, Arita?" Laila asked, her spiteful tone a complete contrast to her friendly exterior, "Are you just too good for us, or something?"

"No, not at all." Violet honestly wasn't sure if she was hearing sarcasm or not, "I do apologize. I was wondering what time it was, is all."

"Oh?" Laila chided, her grin pulling itself to immeasurable lengths, "That's a bit rude, don't you think? Here I am, trying to have a nice civil conversation with you, and you're acting like you have somewhere better to be!"

"I wouldn't say that," Violet couldn't help but cringe a bit at how cold and crisp she sounded, "I was just called in to speak with the Lux _Famulus_ , that's all."

At the name of the title, Laila's expression dropped. Watching her expression change from surprised to salty was more satisfying than Violet wanted to admit, "O-oh, is that so?"

"It is," The way that the words were spoken almost sounded so nonchalant, like this topic would fit right in with all of the brags Laila had just provided, somehow sounding indifferent and gloating at the same time, "I do hope I'm not late, you know how they can be when someone is late to a meeting with them, right?"

"O-of course I do!" Laila said, voice just a tad too loud to sound unforced, rubbing her shoulder as she looked to the side, too embarassed to make eye contact, "I just, umm, I haven't spoken to them in a long time, is all!"

 _"Right."_

"Anyway, I've wasted enough of your time," Laila said, a sheepish smile on her face as she stepped aside, moving out of the walkway, "I do hope that you have a great day!"

 _"Kiss ass."_

"Thank you, I hope the same for you." Violet's point of view bobbed slightly, as if giving a slight nod or something, before walking on. If Violet concentrated hard enough, she could hear quick footsteps running away, as if Laila was trying to get as far as possible.

 _"What an irritant."_

The silence, while favored over Laila's talking, quickly became awkward. Arita didn't say or do anything more than walk. No looking out windows, no stopping for anything, no talking to herself, nothing.

The click of shoes against the floor was the only sound Violet got, and honestly, it was slowly driving her crazy.

Honestly, she wasn't really paying much attention to the scenery until the tapping finally stopped. She had been brought to stand before a door. Confused, Violet tried to read the golden name plate on it:

 _Famulus of Domina Cathetel Lux_

 _-Maeve and Emory Lux_

Before she could question it, knuckles rapped against the wood. Violet heard something that sounded faintly like a muffled "Come on" before the door was opened.

Going off of the look and feel of the space outside of the room, as well as the name plate and plaque, Violet assumed that this room would have been some sort of office.

Which is why it confused her when she walked in to what seemed like a VIP room at a nightclub.

Yellow light flooded the room, the change from natural to artificial giving Violet perception whiplash. The walls looked like tinted mirrors almost, lined with light grey couches. The back wall had what Violet could only assume to be a bar top, complete with a pretty hefty selection behind it.

In the middle of the room, where Violet would have assumed a desk would be, a half-moon sofa sat with a circular table fitted comfortably within the open space. A comfortable chair stood right in front of her, looking like someone had shoved a throne-like plush chair into the room at the last second.

Not that it was really important or anything, really, Violet was more intrigued with the two beings sitting in front of her.

They wore the same white hooded cloaks that everyone else around here seemed to favor, the only real difference being the absence of the long sleeves, instead having tank top-like arms. With the sleeves out of the way, Violet could see the purple ribbons tied around their wrists.

For some reason, Violet couldn't make out their facial features. It felt like, for some reason, the harder Violet tried to focus on their faces, the more muddled they became.

So, for the sake of her own sanity and vision, Violet focused on anything else in the room.

"Ah, Arita, just on time."

"We do hope that the trip here wasn't too strenuous."

God, as if trying to look at them wasn't hard enough, they sounded like they were trying to talk underwater. On top of that, both voices sounded too lifeless and similar.

" _Famulus_ Maeve, _Famulus_ Emory," Violet's turned to the one of the left, and then to the one on the right, "You asked for me?"

"Always one to get right down to the bottom of things," Maeve mused.

"Why don't you relax a bit?" Emory suggested.

"As refreshing as that sounds, I do not have a lot of time to play around with." Her tone sounded clipped yet respectful, not too unlike how she sounded while talking to Laila.

"There's no reason to act so tense, Arita." Maeve chided.

"We only offered because you look so stiff." Emory added.

Violet didn't know why, but she really didn't like the vibe that these two were giving off.

"...If you insist." Her tone sounded oddly relenting, as if trying to insist and reiterate her no would have been more effort than it was worth.

"Splendid. Please, feel free to make use of that chair." Maeve said, gesturing to the chair in front of them.

"Perhaps we can get you a drink?" Emory asked, standing up before walking over to the back wall, large wings easily hiding the rest of Emory's frame.

"Thank you, but I don't think that that will be necessary." For the first time, Violet couldn't help but fully agree with both the words and phrasing. She'd had alcohol once for some sort of ritual and it was nothing like what Dias built it up to be.

Stupid Dias.

"There is no need to be so defensive and cold, Arita." Maeve chided.

"This will go a lot smoother if you allow yourself to loosen up." Emory added, sliding back into the seat before placing three tall wine glasses on the table.

"While I do appreciate your hospitality, I came under the pretense that this was a very important matter." There was that slight yet present bite in her voice once more.

"What isn't important these days?" Maeve mused, picking up a wine glass before taking a small sip, posture instantly looking relaxed.

"Everything within the Facility is, to some extent, a 'very important matter'." Arita could feel a bitterness run through her system at Emory's words.

"All we're trying to say is that it would not kill you to relax, Arita."

"If anything, it would serve to be more beneficial to you."

A few tense seconds passed before her hand reached up to pick up one of the glasses, looking over the reddish-purple liquid before raising it to her lips.

Violet couldn't help but be a bit confused with how her lips were pressed together tightly, not to let even a drop into her mouth, before putting the glass back down, "Thank you for the drink, please forgive my insolence."

Violet didn't have any time to really speculate the sudden shift in tone, ber thoughts quickly cut off by the sound of Maeve's throat clearing (At least, Violet was pretty sure that THIS one was Maeve. Or had she had it all wrong this whole time?), "As you know, being crowned with the Laurel Crest puts you in an important place. Those bestowed the Laurel Crest instantly puts the angel in question into the _Gloriosique_."

"The Glorious Ones," Emory inserted, words rolling off the tongue as if Emory had said those three words too many times to count, "A team where only the most elite and talented angels are even considered, much less invited and accepted."

Violet couldn't help but be only a bit confused. Maybe it was because of all these new terms being thrown around, or maybe it was because of how hard it was to understand what was being said.

Either way, Violet was a little more lost than she wanted to admit.

"As you were probably already taught, being how you are top of the current Lux class, the members of their _Priorum's Gloriosique_ will act as their top generals and commanders during a war-"

"-With one member being chosen as the _Vindex_ , the personal champion and defender of their _Priorium_."

"I do not understand what this has to do with me." Arita noted how mellow and evened out she was trying to sound, her voice sounding odder than usual with what felt like forced relaxation shoved in, "Unless you are about to tell me that the angels are about to go to war, I do not see how this is important, let alone requires me to be in your office at this time."

"...Are you alright, Arita? You're sounding a bit agitated." Maeve murmured, sounding like a concerned parent.

"Would you like to take a moment? Perhaps you'd like to have a small break?" Emory offered.

 _"They're mocking me."_

"There is no need for that." Violet noted how one of her hands tightened around her armrest, fingernails digging into the plush chair, "Please, do go on."

When neither of the other angels spoke, Violet heard a small yet forced huff. Her hand reached out for her glass and, only after she took another fake sip, did they speak up once more.

"As a possible Vindex for the future, we have concluded that it would be most beneficial for our kind to begin offering assistance to the other three houses." Maeve said, waving a hand at the mention of the others.

"Thus, we believe it important, if not necessary, that we extend a hand towards them in the form of you: our newest, youngest and most prominent angel of the current class. Who else would be a better candidate for the, ah, troubled members of the other houses?"

A flood of discomfort washed over Violet like a cold tidal wave, crashing down on her with little to no warning, "I'm sorry, I don't think I quite understand what you're saying." Violet's voice sounded shakey, as if the walls had been closing in and it was only now that it began to dawn upon her.

"We're saying that, as a possible _Vindex_ of the future, there is no one else who would be a perfect fit for the job."

 _"Do they think me foolish?"_

"Your expertise places you in the best possible spot to be considered! Especially when you take into consideration the other houses and their current top students."

 _"Do they really think I can't see right through them?"_

"With all due respect, while I do see the great honor that comes with even being offered a position like this, I don't believe that I have the time nor the competence." Violet couldn't help but feel as if those words had been spat out, regardless of how much respect and stature trying to exist.

"Why not?" Maeve asked, "Last I checked, you have been pardoned from most, if not all, of your classes. Your award has come with free time, and it would be best to use it trying to help the other three."

"Not to mention that, while in class, you've been noted to have only the highest of marks," Emory added, "I'm sure that someone of your statue is sick of hearing this over and over again, but you really are the best and only candidate for such a position."

Violet couldn't help the sick feeling building in the pit of her stomach, each "compliment" feeling like a weight added to her ankle rather than uplifting encouragement.

"With all due respect," Violet felt her chest inflate as she inhaled deeply, attempting to muster up whatever courage possible in order to get her words across, "I don't know if-."

"How many times must we praise you before you're able to see your own certifications, Arita?" Maeve asked, "Surely someone like you isn't praise-starved enough to go to such lengths for validation."

"You're being too harsh, Maeve. Praise from the two of us is as unattainable as it is fulfilling," Emory said, playfully shoving Maeve's shoulder, before turning back to Arita, "Surely there's a reason for her to come off as impolite, arrogant and condescending."

"... I'm sorry?"

"I know that you're not trying to sound impolite, Arita." Maeve chided.

"Indeed, I doubt that someone as intelligent as you would decline this chance to bring honor to our house." Emory agreed.

If Violet squinted, she could see almost malicious smiles on their faces, just barely hidden by the hoods of their cloaks.

She wasn't sure if these sharp spikes of irritation were her own or from this memory at this point. She felt like she had been backed into a corner, one that she had seen from the beginning and still got trapped in.

"Well?"

"What do you think, Arita?"

Violet didn't like this trapped feeling that was slowly crushing her, anxiety skyrocketing as the constricting feeling seemingly wrapped around her neck.

There really felt like there was no other way out of this.

The words that came out, while sounding calm and professional, felt forced and stoked out.

"I'd be honored."

* * *

Hope stopped once more, unable to hear Jade's thoughts over her own heavy breathing.

Hell, at this point, she wasn't sure if Jade's thoughts were still broadcasting in her head. Maybe she was just going crazy? Maybe she was only hearing her own thoughts with Jade's voice, due to her own mental mind state attempting to find someone who might not even be out-

No. Hope took a moment to hold her head, allowing her breathing to ease up and control itself. That wasn't the case, there was no way that was the case, Hope refused to think that was the case.

She was just overthinking things. She KNEW that Jade went off in this direction, and she KNEW that she could hear bits and pieces of her thoughts. How she "knew" she wasn't exactly sure, but the moment that she thought too hard on it, Hope was sure that she'd lose her mind.

 _"God, am I going in the right direction?"_

Hope veered to the left a bit, stopping in hopes that she'd hear more clues.

 _"It's been so long since I was last home. I wonder if the boys even noticed me missing…"_

Nodding her head, Hope continued onwards. She couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive, casting glances every now and then towards the sky, noticing how the sun had just reached its peak.

She had no idea how many hours she'd spent wandering around in the dense forest, nor how many times she had nearly tripped over rocks, shrubs and… Whatever else was on the ground.

She did NOT like the idea of looking down to find a spider crawling up her leg.

With a new sense of attention and just a dash of unease, Hope continued her trek onwards.

 _"God, how long has it been since I last talked to Solgren and Etrigan? I wonder if those two nitwits figured out how to burn Swinford down yet."_

As odd as it was, Hope was grateful for hearing Jade's thoughts. Granted, they seemed to be a bit fragmented and abstract, but it was still nice nonetheless.

 _"Or no, what were those stupid names that they went by now? Damn, I can't remember. Granted, they were about as basic as possible."_

This while forest, as vibrant as it seemed, felt pretty lonely. So much empty space rubbed Hope the wrong way, each animal to dash out of the corner of her eye filling her with brief surprise. The whole forest felt as if it were asleep, barren almost.

It was beginning to remind her of the castle. All the endless hallways, the massive rooms, the unseen ceilings; all of it was very good at making some lowly maid feeling small and insignificant.

 _"Now that I think about it, am I really allowed to judge? I mean, I did choose 'Jade Wilkinson', I don't think I get to talk."_

That's why Jade's broadcasted thoughts were nice. As abysmal as this forest seemed, Jade's thoughts helped to keep Hope from feeling too alone. It was reassuring, being able to hear someone else in such a lifeless place. Honestly, Jade's voice felt like more of a comfort than a guide.

 _"Shit, I think I took a right too soon. Or no, wait, was I supposed to take a left? Fuck, where am I-Oh, nope, there's the moss rock. I'm going the right way."_

Hope couldn't help but wonder if Jade had someone who could do that for her. Someone who could just provide her some form of comfort, especially when she needed it. If she was being completely honest, it was hard for Hope to remember the "family" that she had found herself in the Rift.

Now that Hope had taken off her rose-tinted glasses, it was clear how manipulative and conniving they all were. They were never a family, they were just a bunch of scared kids that stuck together for fear of what would come.

 _"It smells like absolute shit out here. If I end up stepping in a pile of bear crap, I'm using Etrigan's rug to its full potential."_

Kuro had been the first person to really step out and offer a hand. She didn't want anything in return, hell, Kuro INSISTED that she didn't do as much. It had been such a big surprise to Hope's whole system, being shown a sort of kindness that she had never been exposed to before, let alone from someone from the same hell that she had come from.

She wondered if Jade had her own Kuro.

 _"Now that I think about it, I hope no one decided to crash at my place while I was gone. I swear, if I find Foraii on my bed, hands are gonna be thrown."_

Hope couldn't help but feel that that was a weird way of putting it, but her question stood regardless. Did she have someone to lean on in such a manner? Did someone like Jade NEED someone to lean on like that?

 _"Crap, I can't remember if I was supposed to have passed the dead willow yet… Fuck it, I'm pretty sure I'm going in the right direction."_

Maybe Hope had just been excessively dependent, to the point where she had needed someone like Kuro to walk into her life when she did. She held no false memories: she was fully aware of how emotionally and mentally weak she had been, her physical strength barely any better.

Jade seemed to be strong, independent, capable. Of course, that wasn't too say that she didn't have her moments, but regardless, Hope couldn't help but think that a younger Kuro would have looked a little something like this.

 _"Hehehehe, I wonder if Solgren still has that stupid accent."_

For some reason, it was hard for Hope to see Jade the same way she had during their first encounter. She remembered being more peeved with someone who wasn't a prince than she ever thought possible. Granted, it wasn't like she could properly identify her irritation back in the castle, much less act on it, but the resentment still remained.

Jade had probably been the first person to irritate her on the surface. Not even Ms. Henderson's stupid daughter had come close to the vexing irritation she had felt with Jade.

 _"Wonder if Etrigan still has that curtain of hair in front of his face he calls 'bangs'."_

In the beginning, Jade's whole pose seemed to scream "Kuro". From the way she spoke to the way she held herself, it was like she was going to do as she pleased whether people liked it or not. She was going to do what she thought was the right thing, even if that means stepping over others.

She had that air of confidence that Kuro had, if not more so due to her cocky attitude.

So when did it all change?

 _"Wonder if Foraii is still a complete and utter blockhead."_

Hope took a moment to stop, mind reeling back as she forced herself to think on it. She knew when it happened, when she had first decided to jump into her head, so maybe that wasn't the right question.

Hope's mental interaction with Jade had been enough to tear down Jade's walls. She went from "loud-and-proud" to "timidly-calculating". She may have become quiet, but Hope could read the way that her eyes moved about, as if mapping out each and every possible way out should worst come to worst.

Almost like she had once been, now that she thought about it.

 _"...I wonder if they even noticed I was gone for as long as I was."_

Hope really didn't like this new pit-like feeling that grew in her being, forcing herself to continue on in order to better ignore it. It felt like something gnawing at her, threatening to continuously pester her

Maybe it was some form of pity Hope felt?

 _"God, at this rate, I won't get to Swinford for a whole week. I'm walking in circles, I know it."_

For some reason, Hope didn't want to think any harder on it.

* * *

Violet woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of a forest.

While her first instinct had been to scream, she was fairly certain that that wouldn't do much good for her.

In fact, if the howling was anything to go by, it would have probably only made her situation worse.

She moved to look around, only now noticing the blanket tightly in her grasp.

She had been lying down on something black, unable to tell exactly what it was in the darkness. Her bag had been under her head, most likely put there to act as a pillow, blanket draped over her. After a quick check of herself, she tried to think back to the last thing that she could remember.

It was really hard to put any sort of thoughts into place, all of her mental images muddled by her prior vision. The inside of the cathedral kept shifting into the inside of the angelic Facility, Trixie's face kept shifting to that angel girl.

Wait, was that her name? Violet knew it started with a T, but Trixie didn't sound right. What was it? Was is Taryn? Tara? Terracotta? Tesla? Trum-?

Violet shook her head. That was nowhere near important at the moment.

Violet could remember the church, meeting Father Harel… Her memory grew fuzzy from there. Violet couldn't help but groaned, holding her head as she forced herself to think.

She remembered… Finding the secret door. The chill that came from walking down the stairs. The confusion at finding the pictures and names in the room. The… Augh, the disgust at finding the chained up corpse.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see or remember anything past that. She groaned, slamming the palm of her hand against her temple, as if she could beat the memory out of her mind.

It was in there, somewhere, and knowing that only made her feel angrier.

Why was it that she could see into these other people's lives, but the moment that she tried to remember something important from her own life, all of a sudden, she couldn't find it. She could accidently slip into these other people's heads, but HEAVEN FORBID THAT SHE EVEN TRY TO REMEMBER-

The sound of a twig snapping jolted her out of her head, whipping around in order to try and see where the sound came from.

She squinted, hand slowly inching over to her bag.

Not that it would do much, but anything could be a weapon if you were creative enough.

"While I am flattered by your fear, there's no reason for it, my lady."

Violet couldn't help the huff that left her mouth, nor could she stop herself from rolling her eyes at what felt like a dramatic reveal, "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume that you did that on purpose."

"There's also no need for such an accusatory tone at the moment, my lady." God, she could practically feel the shit eating grin on his face, "Besides, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I don't think I'll be able to fall back asleep any time soon," Violet admitted, stretching her arms out as she stood up, doing her best to work the tense feeling from her spine.

God, sleeping on the ground of a forest wasn't doing her back any favors.

"I'm sure that you have many questions, my lady," Violet couldn't help but wince at the sudden appearance of light, glaring at the fire before her like it had personally wronged her, "But I'd recommend eating something, first."

In the firelight, it was then that she noticed the drastic change in her butler. He wasn't wearing his black tailcoat, his white dress shirt looking like it was sticking to him with the WAIT why was he soaking wet-?

"What did I say about questions?" Corvus chided, not looking up from the fire as he prepared what Violet assumed to be some kind of fish.

"I haven't asked any yet!" Violet mumbled almost childishly, trying to ignore how her mouth was beginning to water, the scent of cooked fish absolutely enchanting to her empty stomach, "Besides, who said that I had any to begin with?"

"You should know better than to try and hide something like that from me, my lady. You're quite easy to read, even without my full attention." Violet gave his arm a playful smack at that, "What? I am only stating the truth."

"I'm only stating the truth," Violet mimicked, placing a hand on her chest while throwing her head about, "My name is Corvus, I'm so cool. I'm a demon with a British accent, that automatically makes me even cooler!"

"With all due respect, my lady, that sounds nothing like me."

"With all due respect, I'm most positively the best in the world and anyone who differs in opinion is only some uneducated swine." Violet grinned, unable to keep in character, her words dissolving into a bubbly giggling fit.

"While I don't disagree," Corvus muttered, rolling up his sleeves before "plating" the fish. Violet wasn't exactly sure how sanitary that leaf was, but if Corvus was going to give it to her, it was probably her best bet at the moment, "Dinner is ready. I do apologize, as we do not have the proper silverware and plating, this is the best that can be done at the moment."

"I'm sure that this is the cleanest leaf in the world," Violet couldn't help but snicker slightly, carefully accepting the fish, resisting the urge to poke it with her finger, "Thank you, Corvus."

"Of course, my lady."

If the smell was enchanting, than the taste was to die for. She was pretty sure that her taste buds were going to explode, in a good way, "Your cooking, even when in the middle of a forest, is as amazing as always, Corvus."

"Only the best for you, my lady." Corvus said, a pleased smile on his face before his eyes locked on something behind her, "If you'd be so kind as to return my coat to me?"

"Huh?" Violet murmured, shaking herself from the intoxicating sensation her food was giving her, turning to where Corvus was looking with confusion. It was only then she realized what she had been lying down on earlier, "Oh, yes, of course."

Violet handed his jacket over a bit sheepishly, suddenly overcome with some sense of embarrassment, "It's dirtier than I thought it would be." Corvus admitting that only added to the red on her cheeks, an expression Corvus wasn't just about to pass up, "Is something wrong, my lady?"

"Well, I umm… Sorry, about your coat." Violet offered, her apology sounding more like a question. She couldn't help but feel just a bit guilty,

"There's no need for that," Corvus insisted, dusting off his shoulder when his tailcoat was finally resituated on him, "I gave it to you to use knowing fully well what that could result in. There is no need to apologize for that."

Violet couldn't help but sigh of relief, the weight of the sudden shame lifted.

 **I can't believe that you'd feel that much shame for something that honestly isn't your fault.**

Violet didn't even realize her sudden gasp or jolt until Corvus placed a hand on her shoulder, concern just barely masked, "Are you alright, my lady?"

"Y-yeah," Violet murmured, watching the skepticism slowly overtake his face, "It's just cold is all. That breeze really got to me."

 **Wow, nice save there.**

"If that's the case, you should really make use of this blanket," Corvus muttered, taking her empty leaf before throwing it over his shoulder, reaching for the blanket Violet had unknowingly discarded, "We can't have you catching a cold, especially not now."

Violet couldn't help but feel like a small child being scolded lightly as Corvus wrapped the blanket around her, "Thank you, now I'm all warm and toasty!"

 **Jesus, not your lies are balls, but your cover ups and follow ups are definitely the worst I've ever had to witness.**

 _Ignoring how that who phrase makes no sense, it is mostly your fault that she was called out in such a manner in the first place._

 **Well excuse me for being a bit disorientated, normally that's when I'm at my most authentic.**

Violet couldn't help but feel as if she were on the brink of a headache, their voices sounding just a tad stronger in the dead silence of the greenery around them.

 _Is that your excuse for your absence in Tarrin? Cause, if so, I do hope you choose to be "disoriented" more often._

 **Oh fuck off, all the light and holy bullshit that church gave off was just making me sick is all.**

 _You sound like you're looking for validation, when all I'm hearing are excuses._

 **Don't test me, I'll blow us all to kingdom come.**

 _Right._

Violet, not wanting to contemplate the logistics of her mind fighting with itself, opted to turn to Corvus instead, "I'm getting really tired of asking this, but, what happened?"

 **Thank you.**

 _Great, now we get a recap._

 **Shut up, I need these notes. This shit might be on the test.**

 _… We CANNOT be the same person._

"...What do you remember?" Corvus asked evenly, his tone sounding oddly calm and soft.

 **Why is that always the "answer" to that question?**

 _Intelligent people don't like wasting more time than they have to._

"I remember finding a secret door," Violet murmured, trying her best to tune out her bickering thoughts in favor of trying to sort her memories out, "I remember finding a sort of secret tunnel, something that people weren't meant to see. Father Harel caught me, and I kinda… My memory is fuzzy from there."

Corvus's expression was unreadable, as if contemplating something that Violet couldn't possibly understand, "...They were going to sacrifice you, my lady," He said quietly, sounding almost guilty, "I had managed to get to you in time, but… You were almost sacrificed for whatever twisted belief the town held. We will not have to worry about them, however, the town is nothing more than an ash pile. I was able to make sure that they won't be a problem ever again."

 _Interesting._

 **What's that supposed to mean?**

 _… That I find this situation interesting. How else would you like me to explain it?_

 **Jeez, okay, fine, sorry for not being on your level of intelligent intellect.**

"...Alright." Violet murmured, attempting to quell her growing headache, instead noting how her hands were shaking ever so slightly, "For some reason, I'm now regretting that you told me."

"I do apologize, my lady, I know that my wording may not have been the best-."

"No, no, it's okay." Violet insisted, attempting to tune everything out, focusing on only her breathing. It shouldn't have been that bad, really. It wasn't like it had been her first time on a table like that, and even if it had been, it wasn't like she had been conscious enough to really understand what was going on when it did.

She was fine, there was no reason for her system to be freaking out like this.

"...My lady, are you alright?"

"Peachy." Violet managed to utter, barely noticing how she had begun to curl up on herself. She was doing a damn good job at tuning everyone else out. At this point, she really did feel like she was the only person in the world right now, and the only important thing to do was breathe.

Deep, calm, full breaths. There's no need to panic, you're fine.

You're fine.

 **… Yeah, we're definitely not fine.**

 _Would you be silent and serious for once?_

 **What? I'm just saying, if someone has to constantly tell themselves that they're fine, it's an obvious sign that they are, in fact, not fine.**

"...I'm okay." Violet said, more of a command than reassurance at this point, but who was counting?

God, she really needed a pick-me-up right about now.

And she knew exactly how to get it.

She completely missed Corvus' expression, forcing a grin to her face in order to keep her mood up, "Hey, Corvus."

"Hmm?"

"Knock knock."

Corvus turned to her, an almost surprised expression on his face, as if he could not believe what he was hearing, "...I'm sorry?"

"No, you're supposed to reply with 'who's there'? God, are there no doors in hell, or something?" Violet chided, shaking her head like a disappointed parent, "Okay, let's try this again. Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Babylon." Violet couldn't help but make a face when Corvus began to snicker, "What's so funny? I haven't even told the punchline yet!"

"Babylon, it's not like I'm listening to you." Corvus said in the cheekiest manner that she had ever heard.

All the while, Violet stared at him, eyes about ready to pop out of her skull. No, there was no way that he knew that joke already, right?

"Okay, fine. What do you call a nun in a wheelchair?"

"Virgin mobile." Corvus said, not missing a beat, nor the way that Violet's face was slowly growing red.

This was bullshit, there had to be a joke that he didn't know! There had to be one where he couldn't steal the punchline!

"Why did God make donuts?"

"Because he wanted them holy."

"What do you call holy bread?"

"Jesus Crust."

"Why wasn't Jesus born in Italy!?"

"They could find three wise guys, but not the virgin."

 **Wow, I gotta hand it to him, he's pretty good.**

 _Indeed._

"I give up!" Violet groaned, throwing her heads up as dramatically as possible before flopping over, her lower lip trembling in her best attempt at puppy dog eyes, "There's no fun in the joke when you steal the punchline, Corvus!"

"I do apologize," corvus insisted, his grin suggesting anything but, "Go ahead and tell another joke. I will not steal the punchline, I promise."

'You damn well better not," Violet muttered, thinking hard. Most of her normal jokes weren't going to cut it here. But, she didn't really have anything else to work with at the moment, her head feeling like a warzone and all.

So, what to do, what to do…

Finally, it hit her. A grin spread across her face, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. Of course, if all of those jokes didn't work because they were her own, maybe a joke that WASN'T hers would do the trick!

Violet cleared her throat, expression as smug as humanly possible, "How do you make holy water?"

There was that unreadable look again, but this time, Violet couldn't help but feel smug. He was corner, he had to be! To look like that, he didn't know the answer to this one! She had won!

He seemed to snap himself out of his stupor, a small smile gracing his face, "You tell me."

Violet couldn't help the triumphed snicker that fought its way out of her mouth, making a big deal as she cleared her throat, "You boil the hell out of it!"

Violet fell over into a giggling fit. She didn't even find the joke funny, but that didn;t stop her. She had won! As small and stupid as it might have been, she couldn't help the giddy laughter spewing from her mouth, nor could she stop herself from rolling around on the ground.

 **If she laughs any harder, we're going to explode.**

 _That joke is both stale and overused._

"Truly the epitome of humor, my lady." Corvus praised, the smile on his face small but evident.

"God, I needed that." Violet grinned, shooting Corvus a toothy grin, "Thank you. For letting me subject you to my only real form of verbal thought-out humor."

"While your material isn't bad, I do prefer what I call your 'impulse humor'." Corvus said, before moving to stand, "Now then, I do believe that you should go back to sleep. There are still a few hours before sunrise, and I'd rather you not be grouchy when we depart for Lindow."

"I forgot all about Lindow." Violet admitted, leading her head against the tree with a yawn.

"Would you rather us go back home?" Corvus asked, blowing out the fire. Violet shivered at the sudden chills, but understood why he did it. Honestly, it was hard for Violet to fall asleep unless it was completely dark, "Say the word, and we will go back right now."

"No, I want to see this through." Violet insisted, trying to sound determined rather than sleepy. It was like just suggesting she was tired was enough for her brain to believe it, "We've come this far. It would be a waste to return without answers, right?"

 **Couldn't agree more.**

 _Might as well._

"I could not agree more," Corvus murmured, his voice hard to place in the dark, but still comforting. It was nice to know that she wasn't in the middle of some unknown forest on her own, even if it was dark, "I'm sure that the trip will be an easier one since it is only you and I."

"Shit, I totally forgot," Violet muttered, cursing herself for her shit memory, "Where are Jade and Hope?"

"When Jade went missing, Hope volunteered to go and find her," Corvus said, trying to mask his obvious delight with a tiny bit of concern, "We'll most likely see them in Lindow, and if not, they're probably waiting for us to come back to the mansion."

Violet hummed in agreement, trying to find a comfortable spot on the ground, only to huff. The jacket, while not having had done much, at least kept the dirt and bugs from her clothing, "Corvus, could you come over here?"

She felt something warm to her left and, once she was better situated, leaned against it. She was oblivious to Corvus' subtle jump, nuzzling into his shoulder, "Thank you."

"...Of course, my lady." Was the last thing she heard before drifting back off into sleep.

She had no doubt that, even in sleep, Corvus would keep her safe from any harm.

* * *

Three hours.

Of course, that was a generous assumption, and given how she had no way to tell time other than the sun, she could only assume that it was somewhere around three hours.

But, even then, Hope couldn't help but feel like it had been years since they had left Tarrin and she began to follow Jade.

She was thankful that, even in the dead of night, Jade's mind was still loud and abuzz. Hell, at this point, it would be impossible for Hope to ignore it.

 _"Oh thank fuck, I finally made it."_

That thought threw Hope through a loop. At first, Hope was sure that she was hallucinating that. Maybe her head had been sick and tired of hearing random nonsense, instead filtering in something to give Hope some, well, hope here.

But, after a few more seconds of consideration, Hope's calm and staggered walk broke into a sprint.

 _"Wow, it's been a while. I see that they managed to built up while keeping to their ghetto-look."_

That got Hope to run faster, the finish line feeling so damn close.

She nearly tripped over a multitude of rocks, roots and tiny animals (She felt bad for the rabbit she had kicked, she really did, but she didn't have the time to properly feel shame at the moment.)

Finally, Hope shoved her way through the tree line, stumbling forward when she realized that there were no other tree to push through.

Right as Hope made it to the clearing she had to squint, holding up a hand over her forehead in order to deflect the sun's light the sunrise gave. If she squinted, she could see a little dip in the clearing, almost like some sort of tiny valley area. She could see the tips of what she assumed to be a few shacks and whatnot, each one looking just as dingy and out of place as the one before it.

As far as she was, Hope swore that she could feel a familiar air to the place, hostile yet lackadaisical.

Honestly, it almost reminded her of the Rift.

Before Hope could take another step closer, something hard collided with the back of her head. Gravity taking over as something else pushed her knees.

It felt like, just for a moment, time slowed down. Hope watched as Jade whipped around, her expression jumping between surprised and irritated, before settling on the latter when she turned back around.

She seemed to be shouting at someone else behind her, pointing at Hope with an almost accusatory finger. She seemed to be arguing with someone Hope couldn't see from her angle, her voice sounding warbled in Hope's ears.

Hope felt the thud of her head hitting the ground, vision going black.

* * *

 **Say what you want, I love the joking part between Corvus and Violet. Go ahead, call me an idiot bigot for liking my own work, but it gave me the life and will to finish this chapter so there.**

 **.** **..ANYWAY, hope you guys enjoyed, cya next chappie! Bai bai!**


	21. His Fair Lady, Scattered

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **ニコニコニーキャップを取ります.**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

Violet felt stupidly rejuvenated in the morning.

Like, she felt as if she could take on the world and not blink twice.

So rejuvenated in fact that, much to Corvus' distaste, she insisted on taking the rest of the trip on foot.

"Never would have thought that someone would get salty 'cause they weren't allowed to carry me." Violet couldn't help but snicker, turning around to give Corvus a look over her shoulder, "At this rate, I'll end up a spoiled brat that can't take care of herself."

"I just do not see the point in insisting to walk the rest of the way," Corvus defended, "We could make better time if you'd allow me to carry you."

"As great as that sounds, if I don't burn off all this extra energy, I might explode." Violet said, barely even paying attention to the conversation as a butterfly flew past, "My god, butterflies come in green!?"

"You're missing the point," Corvus sighed, watching as she tried to catch the insect, "We will be able to make better time if you allow me to carry you."

"And you're missing MY point," Violet argued, bouncing up and down to catch the thing, before moving on to instead climb a tree, "At this very moment, I am a ball of highly unstable kinetic energy which, if not expelled, will cause me to mentally, physically and spiritually explode."

"...With all due respect, my lady, I seriously doubt that."

"With all due respect, Corvus, I didn't ask." Violet shot right back, legs kicking out as her arms held her to the branch, before jumping off to rush off, finding something else to keep her attention for just a few seconds.

Corvus couldn't help but feel exhausted just by watching her run about. While it was cute to see her dash around like a child, he couldn't help but feel a bit drained trying to keep up with her.

He wondered how long it would take for her to burn out and go back to being a lazy house cat. Now that was a lot easier to keep up with.

Oblivious to Corvus and his inner monologue, Violet scampered over to a small clearing, throwing her hands out as she twirled.

 **Oh god, if she keeps that up, we're gonna be sick.**

 _You're supposed to keep your eyes on one set thing as you spin, that way you don't get sick._

 **Well that's kinda hard to do when you don't have control of the eyes!**  
Violet couldn't help but tune the two out, too engrossed in her own world. Sure, her mind was going so fast that she was sure she could feel some sort of mental rugburn, but who cares!?

Her current energy level certainly didn't.

She didn't even realize she had tripped over her own feet until two gloved hands grabbed her shoulders, "As much fun as that looks to be, my lady, I'd suggest against spinning around for that long."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Violet said, sticking her tongue out before taking a step forward… only to face plant directly into the dirt.

 **Welp, who would have thought. Dirt taste like dirt.**

 _Truly the understatement of the year._

"Not that I mean to sound impolite when I say this, my lady," Corvus said, his grin evident in his tone, "But, I told you so."

"Shut up and help me up." Violet grumbled, raising her head up just enough to spit, "Aren't you supposed to be my supernatural caretaker, and shit? What happened to all of that 'I'll never let any harm come to you' crap?"

"You were the one who said I have no idea what I'm talking about." Corvus shrugged, pulling Violet up before dusting her off, pulling her bag up and off of her shoulders, "I'll be holding onto this for now, especially if you insist on running around like a toddler."

"You're just jealous."

"Of course. I'm jealous of your ability to get dizzy and eat dirt. You truly are smarter than you let on, my lady."

"Oh, bite me." Violet grumbled, her sour mood quickly turned around the moment her eyes landed on something else that caught her attention.

Violet felt like she didn't have to be in control at the moment. It was almost like there was a disconnect from her body and mind. Her body could go ahead and do as it pleased, working off all that extra energy while Violet allowed her mind to relax.

The other parts of her brain, while they were still there, felt as if they had been muted. It was nice to feel like her mind was once again her own place to be. No one else could invade, no one else could take control.

This was her own special safe place, and nothing was going to change that.

With a mindset like that, while also taking into account her lucky strike, of course everything was going to go to shit at that very moment.

The disconnect went from calming to powerlessness, her lack of control now making her anxious rather than collected.

What the hell was going on!?  
Violet couldn't help but cringe, her vision changing from the grand forest to the pristine walls and pillars of the facility.

She held a hand out, feeling it phase in and out of vision. Was she really moving? What was going on?

"Jeez, Arita, if I didn't know any better, I'd assume that you're worried."

Violet whipped around, trying to place the voice. Someone familiar flickered in and out, as if they were some sort of hologram.

"I'm sorry for reverting to this, unlike you, I take the threat of war seriously. Honestly, how do you stay so calm at a time like this is a bit worrying, Ezequiel."

Violet couldn't help the panic rising from within her, eyes darting from side to side in an attempt to understand what was going on. She couldn't get over how she sounded, too caught up in trying to understand why it was happening.

"Trust me, I'm anything but calm right now. But, I'd rather be this than a complete and utter mess. I mean, did you see how Seidax took the information? He just shut down."

"I can't help but find it funny that you were the one who was cheering for the early graduation before the complete new drop."

"Yeah, of course I did! This whole Facility is ass and you know it! Hell, they do a lot of shady shit and you know it, you're the one that pointed it out! But, graduating to help fuel a war, Arita? One that seemingly came out of nowhere? That doesn't sound right to me."

 **Jesus fuck. I have an idea, how about you STOP doing that?**

 _Do not assume that was my fault, I have as much control over it all as you do._

She watched as the armored man's shoulders slumped over a bit, only to be quickly turned upside down when she smacked her back, "But hey, chin up! On the bright side, we're going to be out of this place soon, and I don't know about you, but no more tests and scores is going to be a great change of pace!"

"How can you be looking at positives now, Ezequiel!?" Violet felt the slight panic in her voice, "They're declaring a state of war, a _Sancti Fractura_ , and all you can do is be happy that there will be no more tests and scores!?"

"Arita, look at me." He said calmly, his golden eyes the only thing keeping Violet from falling apart completely. They were her rock in this sea of uncertainty, and at the moment, she was more than okay to hold onto it, "We're going to be fine. I don't agree with it, and I can tell that you don't either. But, I'm going to tell you right now, we're going to be okay."

"...Promise?" Violet asked, unsure if it had been her or the vision of her asking.

"I promise. Now, come on, let's get a move on. We have places to be, you know!" He took a step back, holding his hand out, "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you, right?"

Right before she could take the hand, her vision snapped back to the forest, much to her sudden horror. The changes, the flashes, the perception changes, they were beginning to become too much.

She didn't register the hand on her back until another came to hug her close, shoving her face into his shoulder. Corvus hushed her quietly, trying to hold the shaking girl together.

Violet didn't realize she was crying until she noticed a wet patch growing on Corvus' coat, "I'm-."

"If you apologize, I'm going to feed you dirt." Corvus chided, pulling back to playfully poke her nose, "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Violet murmured, swatting his hand away when he attempted to do it again, much to his own amusement, "I just… It came out of nowhere…"

Corvus looked apprehensive for a moment, before sitting down, pulling her to sit with him, "If you don't mind, I'd like to know about these visions."

"Well, you honestly know about as much as I do," Violet murmured, unconsciously fiddling with his gloved fingers, "They just.. Happen. I don't know what causes them, nor do I remember when they first started."  
"Well, what do you see?" Corvus pressed, keeping a wary eye out as he did so.

"I see bits and pieces of other people's lives," Violet murmured, her head throbbing the longer she went on, "I never know what's going on, nor do I get much context for what I'm seeing. Sometimes I don't know if what I'm seeing is real or just a figment of my imagination. They just kinda… Happened."

"I hate them," Violet admitted, hands shaking ever so slightly, "I hate waking up in what feels like a body I can't control. I hate it when my vision suddenly changes from the present to some other weird place with little to no warning. I absolutely despise how little control I feel over the situation, how I had no control over anything, and I just... I just…"

"No, there is no need to push yourself to say more." Corvus insisted. Before Violet could say anything, he stood up, pulling Violet with him.

Violet let out a yelp at the sudden change in elevation, fingers digging into his coat on instinct. Finally, it dawned on her, the realization causing her to shoot him a playful glare, "Really? That's what you were after here?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Corvus murmured, readjusting the bag on his shoulder, before walking on, "Besides, it looks like you were able to get rid of all that 'extra energy', so you have no excuse as to why I'm not allowed to save time."

"Yeah, cause that's why you insist on carrying me." Violet teased, before throwing her hand out, "Well, if you must, I see no reason to make it harder for you to do your job."

"How gracious." Corvus teased right back, "Only someone as benevolent as you deserve to be treated as a princess, in my opinion."

"Shove it."

"If that's what you wish, my lady."

* * *

Every single one of these stupid tunnels looked so similar, it was a miracle anyone ever knew how to navigate them.

Granted, it wasn't like there weren't other people to help you navigate the place. No, the real problem was WHO was lost.

Blythe couldn't help but glare at anyone who dared to try eye contact with her as she walked by, marching onwards as if she had a destination in mind. It wasn't too long until no one dared to breathe around her.

It wasn't her fault that she growled at anyone who did so much as raise a hand to her. It wasn't her fault that her glare held the power of a thousand suns. It wasn't her fault that she radiated enough anger to physically burn a person.

If anything, all of this was on whoever built this stupid maze.

Why was it so hard to find her way out of here!?

"How charming. An adorable creature trying to look fearsome."

Blythe didn't bother to hide the complete and utter discontentment on her face. She whipped around to glare the demon down, having had quickly grown tired of his whole "I use weird words and phrases I made up to sound intelligent" thing, "Aren't you supposed to be doing something productive, Mr. Faustus?"

"I could be saying the same to you." Maybe Blythe just hated people in general, or maybe she just always ended up around the most irritating ingrates born. Regardless, Blythe couldn't help but wonder how nice it would be in there were no one else left in the world.

She'd finally get some peace, for once.

"Well, in that case, I do apologize for wondering if standing around and bothering people is 'productive'." Blythe scowled, making an attempt to push past, only to have him move right back in her way.

"Because walking around and glaring at the Tenebris troops is any different." Blythe really didn't want to converse with him, but he didn't seem to be picking up on any of her hints.

"Not that I want you to think I utterly despise you, or anything of that nature." Blythe spat, hating how her reflection looked in his glasses, "But I really don't want anything to do with you right now."

"There's no reason to act like that. We are teammates and whatnot, after all."

If only they had met in Penketh rather than here, then she wouldn't have any repercussions with doing her job, "Look, I don't know why you think you are, Mr. Faustus-."

"Claude."

"...I'm sorry?" Blythe asked softly, temper just about ready to boil over.

"As I said before, we are to be teammates. As such, a first name basis will allow for better relations amongst our little group."

"...Maybe you assume me stupid, so I'll clear it up for you." Blythe growled, taking a huge step forward as she pressed her finger into his chest, "I don't want to do the whole 'play nice' routine here, okay? I have no reason to get to know you, I don't WANT to get to know you, and if that isn't going to get the message through your head, I don't know what will."

Blythe didn't like his unreadable expression, nor did she like his penetrating gaze. Everything about his body language was too obscure, like he was trying to hide something.

Blythe couldn't help but tense up, one hand automatically going to the hilt on the back of her belt, the other held out as if to calm a dog. She didn't realize she was leaning forward a bit, knees bent.

Finally, he took a step back, hands up in a sort of surrender, "My apologizes, I wasn't aware that attempting to be friendly was frowned down upon on the Surface."

"...Yeah." Blythe muttered, not really sure what else could be said right now. This was slowly going from tense to awkward, and honestly, Blythe wanted nothing more than a few hours in the outdoors.

"I'll leave you to it, then." He murmured, adjusting his glasses as he walked on, "Ah, before I forget, Ms. Saclut is looking for you."

Blythe groaned, making a big show of dragging her hand down her face, glaring at his retreating form, "And you couldn't have told me that early, why?"

"Forgive me for attempting cordiality." He said, voice echoing more the farther he got, "I assumed that small talk is just part of conversation. Anyway, she said that she's waiting near the barracks. Have fun."

Blythe growled, not bothering to continue the obviously completed conversation as she stomped off, muttering darkly to herself.

If Cynthia sent the likes of a demon to fetch her, there had better be a good damn reason.

* * *

"So you just decide to attack her? Are you out of your fucking mind!?"

Hope was pretty sure she was dead.

"My God, 'ow many times do I gotta say it? I assumed she was a 'uman following you in, so I did the obvious!"

Her head felt like absolute garbage.

"The 'obvious' shouldn't be to hit the back of her head so hard her brains drip out her ears! Hell, that's not even in the top five things you should do on first impulse!"

So, she was either dead.

"Okay, one, that's fairly disgustingly graphic. And, two, I'm 'earing a lot of words, but none of them add up to a 'thank you'."

Or about to be.

"You want a thank you? Are you fucking kidding me!? Are you unable to comprehend the anger and irritation going on here, or do you want me to sit you down and spell out how fucking outraged I am right now!?"

Hope grabbed what she assumed to bed bedsheets, attempting to ground herself through another wave of headaches.

"God, do you 'ave any other mode besides 'angry and bitchy'? What 'appened to that whole 'I'm gonna try and be more like Etri' reform you 'ad before you left?"

Maybe she was dead. Or no, she was dying and this argument was going to be the last thing she ever heard.

"Do NOT change the fucking subject right now, Solgren! I just, I need to just… Fucking God damn all of this shit, fuck!"

Hope could see things moving from behind her eyelids, the ringing in her ears slowly dying down. Hell, she had no idea that there was ringing until it had finally began to die down back to just the shouting match.

"...Fuck this garbage, we'll talk later. I'm outta 'ere."

Hope struggled to open her eyes, feeling as if someone had glued her eyelids shut. Just a little more effort, she was sure she was almost there…

"Don't just walk out on me like-."

"No, you're all 'issy, I'm getting 'issy, and if this keeps up, Foraii's gonna kick us both right the 'ell out of 'ere. So, you go a'ead and calm yer tits and shit, I'm going to meet up with Etri for a drink."

Hope was finally able to peel her eyes open just as the door was slammed shut, Jade's statue crumpled over just a bit, her shoulders shaking as her ragged breathing filled the room.

If she had the time to do so, she would have taken in how small yet warm this place she was in felt. She probably would have made a comment about how this bedroom was painted a calming blue

Jade whipped around to face her, face flushed red as her shoulders heaved.

She looked like she was on the brink of a total meltdown.

Before Hope could open her mouth to speak, Jade shot her an irritated glare, "Don't even get me STARTED with you."

Hope wasn't new to how angry Jade normally sounded. But this, from the way her jaw was set to the fire in her eyes, was something completely different. This made "Angry Jade" look like a pouting child.

"I don't even know where to start with you," Jade hissed, refusing to break eye contact as she stalked over, fists clenching, "I have half a mind to let Solgren back in just to finish what he started with you, honestly. I mean, fucking hell, following me out here? What the fuck were you thinking!?"

"You're mad at me?" Hope wheezed, her voice sounding a lot more strained than she thought it would sound.

"Well gee, what do you fucking think!?" Jade shouted, throwing her hands up angrily before throwing her fist out, punching a small crater into the wall, "Am I supposed to be happy that you followed me home? I'm I supposed to be ecstatic that I'm stuck with you, brain dead on my bed in my house? Cause, if so, I'm so sorry that my bliss comes off as complete and utter fucking irritation and despite."

"You're not allowed to talk!" Hope yelled right back, doing her best to stay upright despite how her head was throbbing, "I thought you were in trouble! I wanted to find you before Corvus did! Do you have any idea as pissed off he would be if he figured out that you decided to run off during the trip!?"

Hope wanted to speak up, to object what she was saying, only to have a wheezing cough replace her words. Her head was slowly beginning to pound again, a slow yet indisputable thud threatening to push in her skull.

"Well, newsflash, you little ray of sunshine!" Jade growled, leaning in close enough to ensure that Hope could basically smell the enmity rolling off of her, sneering down at her as Hope rasped, "That whole trip was made SO THAT I could leave!"

Jade kicked herself off of the bed, one hand moving to tangle with her hair while the other gripped her hip, looking like she was just trying to keep herself together at this point, "Sorry for being that person, but I don't care! That girl you both seem to swarm to? Violet De whatever-the-fuck? Guess what? I couldn't care less! This whole manhunt she's on? None of that pertains to me! Hell, it doesn't pertain to you either! The only one who has to stick around her is the Crow, and I don't even know how legitimate their whole contract is!"

"So you just leave?" Was all Hope could muster up, eyes watering ever so slightly from her coughing fits. God, this headache was growing, and honestly, it wasn't really helping her nerves right now.

"Are you not listening to a word I'm saying?" Jade shot right back, "Is your head so far up your obligatory ass that you just can't seem to fathom common sense? You make it sound like I betrayed all of you."

"You did!" Hope said, trying to pull herself up despite how her head felt like she was about to explode. She wasn't sure if it was due to dehydration or her head trauma, but regardless, her skull felt like it wanted to detonate, "That's exactly what you did! You planned to leave us, two demons and a child, in a town run by an extremist!"

"No I did not!" Jade screamed right back, "Don't paint me into a villain here, I did what I thought I had to! Don't try to make me feel guilty and shit because I did what I had to do!"

"You didn't HAVE to do any of that!" Hope never liked yelling, but Jade's tone made it nearly impossible not to. Regardless, she was pretty sure that she was damning her throat with all of this talking.

"You have NO FUCKING RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT'S RIGHT AND WRONG, WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T DO! CAUSE, LAST I CHECKED, YOU'RE NOT ME!"

"I don't need to be you to see that you're acting like a child throwing a tantrum right now!" Hope finally snapped back.

Jade looked like she was about to scream something right back, only to have a knock on the door interrupt them.

Jade groaned, "WHAT!?" she shouted, glare still fixed on Hope.

"If you're done screaming at your concussed friend in there, hurry it up. Foraii's waiting for you, and you can imagine that he isn't the most patient right now."

"Fucking Foraii," Jade muttered, stalking her way over to the door.

Jade moved to grab something off of the floor, dusting it off before throwing it over her shoulder, "Welcome to Swinford." She muttered, nearly ripping the door open with the force she used, "Make yourself comfortable and shit, cause if I see you outside, I'm going to break whatever Solgren doesn't on accident."

With that warm welcome out of the way, Jade slammed the door shut.

* * *

Blythe was going to murder whoever planned out these stupid tunnels.

Would it have killed them to put a directory anywhere around here!?

She had wasted what felt like hours wandering around, each additional dead end and loop only adding to the fire fighting to break free of Blythe.

And, if that hadn't been enough to permanently sour her mood…

"Someone must have gone sightseeing to have taken that long to get here."

Cynthia would ensure Blythe would never smile again.

"Bite me." Was Blythe's curt reply.

"Wow, late AND angry? I must have hit the Blythe jackpot!"

"Cut the happy shit," Blythe scowled, pushing past Cynthia to take a seat on one of the chairs, just a tiny bit thankful that her legs would get some amount of rest after all of that bullshit, "Demon boy said that you called me here for something? So, you wanna tell me what's going on, or what?"

"Ah, so Claude did pass on my message, excellent!" Cynthia clapped, her tone flat. God, watching Cynthia gave Blythe such a headache, just being in the same room as her made Blythe feel as if she too were dissociated with herself, "I was hoping he would, that's a good sign of a subordinate!"

"Not to be a complete and utter asshole," Blythe grumbled, inspecting the dirt caked under her nails as she went along, "but could you please just get to the point? I have things I want to do."

"Yes yes, we'll get there, Jesu. Hasn't anyone ever told you that small talk is just a pleasant part of the conversation?" Cynthia scowled, mouth morphing into a frown before bouncing back into a grin, "Speaking of which, have you heard about the last scouting team? The Tenebris twins decided to give me the okay on the plan! So, they're sending out one more team so we can try and narrow down the location before we head out."

Blythe groaned, eyes flitting about. All the rooms down here felt like dungeons, the only difference was that this one had an old wooden desk and two metal fold-out chairs.

God, everything and everyone down here was absolutely disgusting.

"A few of them helped me get what we need for our little three-person raid," Cynthia went on, pulling at her fingers almost nervously while grinning, eyes just a bit too wide to be normal, "It's a bit of a shame to see some of them get sent to their deaths after getting to know them and all of that, but honestly, it's not like they really had much going for them here anyway."

Blythe nearly gagged at the realization of how dirty her hands looked.

"One of the boys, Tim, I think? Yeah, he was going to get executed for some form of treason that he didn't know the twins knew about. So, what do they do? They work him for all he's worth and send him out to die. Apparently, they're painting this scouting mission as 'the mission to end all other scouting missions', or some shit like that. Not that they're wrong or anything, but painting it like that? Jesus, and here I thought I was soulless."

Blythe grumbled about how dirty her hands were, searching her pockets for a rag. Hell, a wet napkin would do at this point, she just wanted the grime off.

"I got to talk to him and everything, and he gave me his whole life story. Parents died, he had to make it to feed his little sister and brother, sister ended up getting killed by the brother, he was forced to kill his brother to defend himself. Turns out it was all the work of demons or something, I don't know, that's what he said a priest of a town told him when he ended up there. And now, he's here 'cause he wants to rid the world of demons and make the world a better place, and all that jazz."

Cynthia cackled, before throwing her hands up in a shrug, "You know, the usual sob story and motivation bullshit that most of these guys have. The first few times, it's tragic, but after that? So bland, so cookie-cutter. Honestly, could some of your parents die differently, please? If you insist on boring me, your little sister had better been eaten by a spider-snake and turned into a zombie or something like that, you know what I mean?"

Blythe cursed softly to herself, resorting to wiping her hands down her Tenebris issued uniform, gagging slightly. Note to self: Either get a new set, wash these, or screw the uniform all together, she would wear her own thing on the Op.

"Damn, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, Tim. Tim did his stuff, and left, fully believing that he was about to go out and help save lives, or some shit. How young and naïve you gotta be to run head first into that without even a bit of suspicion?"

Blythe honestly couldn't pay attention even if she wanted to at this point. All Cynthia was doing was rambling. Rambling about the mission, about the scouting trip, about stupid fucking Tim. Who the hell is Tim? Who the hell cares about Tim?

"Too bad though, he was kinda hot. I totally would have taken him for a tumble or two if he didn't have a target on him and all that."

Cynthia did, apparently.

"Oh well, regardless, it doesn't really matter much to me. He did his thing, got me what I needed, and now he's out of my hair. But, between you and me, with his build, he would have been of better use as a sparring dummy or something, you know? I don't know, that's just me."

Blythe squinted at the dirt under her nails. Yeah, no amount of wiping was going to get that out. Groaning, she searched her pockets for something small, thin and sturdy. Something that could get under her nails and get all that gunk and shit out.

"All in all, it's been a good day for me. You know, ignoring the whole Tim thing, I think I'm about ready for the Op! God, I'm so happy that they decided to go with my idea! Sure, it did need a bit of tweaking, but we're good to go now! They even decided to get me another case of my magic muscle meds! Ha, with those, I'll be un-fucking-stoppable!"

Blythe finally found one, a small silver pocket knife. Making a mental note to put it away in her shoulder pocket later, she flicked the blade out, ready to clean her nails.

She failed to notice how the room went silent the moment she brought the tool out. She only realized that Cynthia had stopped after flicking the knife out. Her only warning with a sharp scream before being thrown from her chair, "Oww, what the fuck!?" Blythe shouted, thankful that she had thrown the weapon away on instinct, "I could have ended up stabbing myself, you fucking maniac!"  
Blythe wanted to go on, only to stop while watching Cynthia's expression. Her eyes were wide, the scythe end of her weapon in hand. Her hand was still stiff and out, not bothering to have moved after pushing her. Cynthia's breathing sounded ragged, eyes flickering from Blythe to the knife on the ground.

Blythe couldn't help but scoff, moving to stand up, only to yelp when a curved blade embedded itself into the wall next to her head, "You think you're slick, huh?" Cynthia quipped, voice light and shaky despite the wide grin that slowly crept across her face, "Just gonna take out a knife like that, huh?"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Blythe shouted, not daring the cower under Cynthia's glare.

The two stayed there for a bit longer, the air around them tense, before Cynthia shook her head.

"You have no further reason to be here. Leave."

To that, Blythe scoffed, "You're just gonna tell me to leave? Are you fucking serious? You're the one who had me come here in the first place, and you've yet to tell me anything of even a bit importance-."

"Leave."

Blythe couldn't help the shivers that ran down her back after that. For once, everything matched up. Her angered expression, the force behind her voice, her posture. It all added up to convey one solid emotion, and for some reason, this was scarier than anything Blythe had ever seen before.

So, eyes locked on Cynthia, Blythe slowly got up. She held her hands up, forcing herself not to flinch when the scythe was pulled from the wall, "Keep the pocket knife." Blythe muttered, backing out of the room before closing the door behind her.

Once there was something between her and Cynthia, Blythe allowed herself to taking in a deep breath of air, head spinning from that whole interaction. She needed fresh air, and she needed it now.

"Excuse me, do you know where Ms. Saclut is? I have a package for her."

"Huh? Oh," Blythe muttered, finally snapping back to the real world, jutting her thumb out and over her shoulder, "She's in there. But, umm, I don't recommend going in right now."

"Oh, okay, umm…" the man muttered, awkwardly placing the box at the foot of the door, before moving to leave.

"WAIT!" Blythe shouted, louder than she had meant to. She took a moment to compose herself, before asking, "I don't suppose you could lead me to the exit?

* * *

 **あなたが気にしないことを願っていますが、私はあなたの歯を食べたいです**

 **.** **..ANYWAY, hope you guys enjoyed, cya next chappie! Bai bai!**


	22. His Fair Lady, Adverse

**Hello, Crimson here!**

 **何も本物ではない**

 **...ONWARDS!**

* * *

Hope woke up to something poking her shoulder.

She shot straight up, eyes wide as she scanned the room. She was sure she felt something touch her arm, but there was no one in here.

No one she could see, at least.

She couldn't help the chills running down her spine, nor could she stop her eyes from darting left and right.

Yeah, it felt like there was something watching her.

"I'm just going to try and go back to sleep now." Hope muttered, voice just loud enough so that, if there were someone out there, they'd surely hear her, "Hand touching my shoulder? I don't think so. Nope. Didn't happen. Couldn't have happened."  
But that would be insinuating that someone else was around.

Which couldn't be it.

Because there was no one else here.

Nope.

Hope was totally alone here.

"Yep, don't mind me… Room?" Hope muttered, before shaking her head, pulling the blankets tighter around her shoulders, "I'm just gonna go to sleep now. Not that you need to know that. Because you are a room. And rooms don't have ears."

For some reason, the dead silence that followed her words really didn't make her feel as comfortable as it should have. Hope's eyes darted to and fro, as if expecting a pair of eyes to appear in the walls and stare right back.

Great, now there was that visual in her head.

God knew that wasn't going to help her go back to sleep.

Oh, what joy.

"Quit it, you're panicking over nothing." Hope muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Of course she was only talking to herself! There was no one else here to talk to, that was obvious!

"You're losing your mind over an empty room. There's no one else here."

For some reason, the longer she insisted that to herself, the less she believed it.

"This is getting ridiculous." Hope grumbled to herself, "I'm just going to lie back, close my eyes, and sleep off this whole shitty situation."

The silence that followed did little to help her, but Hope couldn't care any less. She was going to close her eyes now, and then she'd be able to go right back to sleep-

Something poked her forehead.

"Okay, fuck this," Hope scowled, throwing her bedsheets right off before sliding out of the bed, "Listen, I don't know what the fuck is going on in here, but you can either quit this shit or come out and explain yourself!"

The silence as her response was not helping her irritation in the slightest.

"Don't try and pretend that this isn't happening! I'm not insane, I know that something is touching me, and I'm telling you right now that I'm NOT having it!"

More silence.

"I swear to all things unholy," Hope muttered, glaring the dry wall down as if it had personally offended her, "I will blow this whole place to hell if you decide to keep playing this game."

Honestly, Hope was beginning to feel just a little stupid. Maybe she was just going crazy, head playing tricks on her to feel as if there was actually someone else in this room poking her-

"Well, that's a new reaction."

Hope was pretty sure that, in that second, her soul had been thrown out of her body for a few seconds due to her panic. The only reason she knew that that wasn't true was because (1) demons didn't have "souls" and (2) she was pretty sure that that wasn't physically possible.

Regardless, Hope really wasn't sure how to react when someone's head popped in through the wall. The man's head twisted around to face Hope, most likely taking just a bit of pleasure in her horrified expression, "Normally, people just try to ignore me when I bother them, but having someone go as far as threaten me? You're something special, aren't you, little demon girl?"

Hope tried to retort, but ended up with her jaw on the ground, "Come now, surely the demon that threatens to blow someone up isn't this naturally timid, right?" The demon's hand reached out from the wall, taking hold of the window sill before pulling the rest of himself out of the wall.

Hope couldn't help the irritation rising in her chest as she watched him brush his short white hair behind his ear, a hairband keeping most of it from falling over his face.

He grinned, holding his hand out (most likely to offer a handshake or something), only to have Hope grab his hand. She wasn't sure how, but if the look in his glossy blue eyes were anything to go by, he was just a bit startled at Hope's sudden grip, "If you EVER try that shit with me again, I will bring your darkest fears to life."

"...Well, don't you have a way with words?" He laughed, the sound coming off as just a tiny bit forced, "I do apologize, I don't get to mess with the others around here to often. My name is Etrigan, but everyone just calls me Etri."

"Ah, so you're the one with the 'curtain of hair'." Hope couldn't help but tease, releasing his hand with a small grin as his expression faltered.

"Did Lezabel honestly tell you about that!?" He said, hands moving to fix his hairband, only to stop midway, instead sliding into his pockets as if that was their intended destination, "My God, this is a horrible first impression. Umm, do you mind if I walk out really quick?"

He didn't wait for Hope to give him an answer, instead heading over to the door. Without another word, he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Before Hope could have a chance to fully comprehend the situation, a knock came to the door, "Excuse me, may I come in? I was sent by Foraii to show you around and bring you to the main hall."

Hope, still confused as to what was going on, was quickly snapped into the present with another sharp knock at her door, "If you don't mind, we should depart soon. Foraii is expecting us, and if he's really planning to meet with Lezabel before you, the last thing we should do is show up late."

"Wait-." Was all Hope could manage before Etri walked back in, the warm smile on his face a complete contradiction to the iron grip he had on her arm.

"Yeah, this first impression isn't doing much better, but hindsight is 20/20."

With that, Etri took to dragging her over to the opposing wall, walking straight through it as if it weren't there to begin with.

"Hey, wait a second-." Was all Hope could manage before her sentence was interrupted by a yelp, Etri tugging her through the wall.

Hope fully expected his hand to phase through and leave her behind. That, or it would pull a part of her hand into the wall and it would be stuck there until they figured out how to remove it from the wall.

What she didn't expect, however, was to be surrounded by the feeling of cold wood, only to squint at the sudden sunlight that bombarded her senses, "What...The fuck."

"Jesus, okay, give me one more try." Etri muttered, turning around. All the while, Hope was still trying to comprehend what was going on, her back pressed against the wall that she had just been pulled through, "Hello, my name is Etrigan, but you can call me Etri. Welcome to Swinford."

* * *

 **Hey, bet she's gonna ask again.**

 _She's been asking for at least half an hour now. I doubt it._

 **No, she will, I know it. Watch.**

 _Oh, do silence yourself. Surely she wouldn't bother to ask once more._

 **Nope. It's gonna happen. Watch. It's happening, watch!**

"Hey, Corvus?"

 _God damnit._

"No."

 **Oh my God, ahahahahahahahaha! How one word is capable to absolutely shut someone down just gives me life!**

"What do you mean, no? I didn't even ask a question."

"I know what you're about to ask, so I've chosen to save time and answer it before you have the chance to ask."

"But what if you were wrong? What if I had a totally different question to ask? For all you know, I was going to ask if I could breathe, and you just denied me."

 **Maybe we shouldn't have provoked her. I mean, this whole exchange isn't going anywhere.**

 _It's only now you realize this?_

"I sincerely doubt that you would ask a question such as that one."

Violet groaned, more so to drown out the other two in her head than anything else, "Well excuse me for wanting to fill the silence, Corvus! We've been walking in silence for what's felt like years, and I don't know about you, but most silences are awkward!"

 **You want a cure to awkward silence? I can just scream for an hour straight.**

 _Please don't._

"What more would you have me do for you, my lady?" Corvus said, taking a moment to adjust her in his arms before continuing on, "Perhaps I could give you the sun? Force the moon to shine in your honor? Dedicate each and every star to your legacy?"

 **Damn, is he actually offering? Cause I'd kill good people to see him try to drag the sun out of the sky.**

 _Deus percusserit nobis down._

 **If you're gonna talk shit in another language, at least have enough class to not choose the dead one.**

 _pedicabo ego vos._

"If you insist, I'd like you to start by ensuring it won't rain on us." Violet muttered, squinting at the sky. In her attempt to ignore how loud her mind felt, she had turned to look to the sky, only then noticing how shady the area around them looked.

Right when she was sure that it was just a stupid suspicion in the back of her head, she blinked furiously as a rain droplet landed on her face.

"Now, that wasn't something originally offered, was it?" Corvus chided, chuckling as yet another raindrop hit her face.

 **In my own opinion, ensuring it won't rain on us is so much easier than anything he listed earlier.**

 _Too bad no one is able or interested to know your opinion._

Violet opened her mouth to speak, only to cough out bits and pieces of some other phrase. That was weird. What the hell was all of that?

 **Oh, great. Now we're vomiting up latin. I hope you're proud of yourself.**

 _Do not fault me for this, I have no control right now!_

"Are you alright, my lady?" Corvus asked, skittering to a stop when Violet's coughing grew, her chest heaving as if she was trying to inhale and exhale at the same time, "We can stop and rest for a moment if you'd like."

"N-no, I'm fine." Violet insisted, inhaling deeply as she forced herself under control. She tried to ignore how her eyes were watering, "We can keep going."

She missed the skeptical look on Corvus' face, too busy holding a hand to her chest. She felt oddly claustrophobic, her head feeling heavy. Violet wasn't sure if she wanted to vomit or explode, but either way, it was like something was fighting to escape.

 **Jeez, what's wrong with her?**

 _Truly, I wonder._

God, her irritation was just building. With her lungs all over the place and her thoughts being at war, she felt like there were a million little Violet's running around trying to keep the U.S.S. Violet together.

And, on top of that, the raindrops falling down ever so methodically was NOT helping.

 **Wow, yeah, be like that than. It's not like I'm trying to make conversation and figure this out or anything.**

 _I don't see how you haven't figured it out. You're majority of the problem._

And, on top of that, the raindrops falling down ever so methodically was NOT helping.

 **Well, fuck you too, asshole!**

 _You idiot, are we not the same person!?_

"Would you two just SHUT UP FOR A SEC!?" Violet screamed, holding her hands over her ears.

She barely registered Corvus trying to get her attention, instead jumping at the feeling of fingers against her forehead, "You're burning up." He muttered, picking her up without a second thought, head whipping about almost frantically, "We need to get to the next nearest town."

 **Damn, look at demon boy over here. Being all macho and shit. It's kinda hot.**

 _Could you be serious for a single second? We're dying here._

"We don't need to," Violet insisted, hoping that she wasn't shouting. While it would be nice to drown the other two out right now, the last thing she needed to do was yell at Corvus, "We need to get to Lindow and _instar sicco quid suus ' iens in_." Violet instantly moved her hands to cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock.

 **Jesus Christ, what the fuck!?**

 _Umm… Excuse me?_

Corvus gave her an odd look, before continuing on, eyes scanning the area around them, "Where is the nearest town?" Corvus muttered, glaring at the trees as if they had all personally offended him, "There must be one nearby."

"Jade's map suggests otherwise." Violet murmured, her voice sounding hoarse. She was going to say more, only to have a throat tearing cough rip through her body. She did her best to ignore the drizzle that had begun, but honestly, she couldn't do much about the shivers running through her body.

"If you honestly believe that we're going to continue on to Lindow in your condition, then I can only assume that your fever is worse than I thought." Corvus muttered, ignoring Violet's babbles as he tried to find somewhere to rest, "Even if we are to ignore your current state, it is unwise to make some sort of camp out here in this weather."

"Personally, I don't have anything against sleeping out here." Violet tried to grin, only to cringe at the feeling of her lungs trying to collapse in on themselves, "Besides, it's just a little drizzle. It won't kill us."

 _Sleeping on the floor is disgusting._

 **Don't be like that, a little dirt in your hair won't kill ya.**

"The idea of me allowing you to sleep in those conditions, especially when it can be avoided, is simply unethical." Corvus said, tone leaving no room to argue.

 _At least he agrees with me. I often forget that it's possible for others to have some form of class when I'm stuck around the likes of you constantly._

 **And what, exactly, the FUCK, if that supposed to mean?**

Violet groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as another wave of throbbing pain swept through her head. Normally, at most, they were pests. They were little more than background noise, and even then it wasn't hard to tune them out. But now, it felt like they were trying to fight for control, each trying to top the other for some reason.

Honestly, it was making her head spin.

 **God, that's a pretty sick shade of green.**

 _Something tells me that, if it wasn't for someone's input, we wouldn't be in this mess._

 **Hold up, are you seriously pointing fingers?**

"SHUT UP!"

Violet felt like she was being torn apart. She her skin felt icy but her insides felt like they were boiling. Her head felt like it was trying to split itself apart, doing its damndest to pull itself apart. The drizzle slowly grew stronger, but honestly, the rain was the very last thing on her mind at the moment.

"This fever of your must be much worse than I thought." Corvus muttered to himself, shaking his head in an almost pitiful manner as he continued on, more so concerned with finding a place to stay rather than arriving in Lindow, "If I didn't know any better, I'd assume that you've grown delirious."

"Good think you know better." Violet all but spat, groaning as she held her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, the throbbing pain in the back of her head growing ever so slowly, "And if you're honestly suggesting that you're going to put our trip on hold in order to find somewhere nice to stay, I swear to everything holy I will-."

Violet was cut off by a wave of gagging, retching and over all vomit-inducing head throbbing. It felt as if something was sitting on her chest, while also squeezing her stomach. She felt something acidic rising up in her throat, eyes watering as she threw her head to the side. She could practically feel the disgust from Corvus as she threw up bile and water over her shoulder, hoping and praying that none of it got on either of them.

 **Holy crap, I think I'm gonna be sick, dude.**

 _Please don't throw up in here._

"We are going to take a break at the first town. Honestly, I'd settle for a single house at this point." Corvus muttered. Violet felt almost limp, a ragdoll in Corvus' arms as he moved along. She felt too tired to feel disgusted that she had thrown up, hell, she felt too tired to contemplate how tired she was.

She could still hear her mind going rampant, her brain screaming at itself. No, they were more akin to two different voices fighting one another, at this point. God, just thinking on it gave her a headache.

She didn't think that she'd have to fight her eyelids to stay awake, especially with how the rain was slowly growing stronger and louder, but each passing second seemed to slowly take her consciousness away.

She curled in as close as she could to Corvus, not noticing how he stiffened up ever so slightly. With how cold the rain made everything, she couldn't help but notice how warm and comforting Corvus' felt.

Drowsy, Violet mumbled something into Corvus' arm, mouth moving despite how disconnected it felt to her brain. There was nothing wrong with closing her eyes for just a second, right?

She just wanted to rest her eyes, just for a second…

She was oblivious to Corvus' trying to get her attention, his voice sounding drowned out with the rain pouring down around them.

* * *

Swinford wasn't as "Rift-like" as Hope had expected.

For starters, no one was out on the streets. Granted, they weren't "streets" as much as they were grassy walkways just outlined enough to be known as "streets", but that was just a nitpick.

"We don't have too many residential buildings, but most of them are here on the outskirts," Etri went on, taking a moment every now and then to fix his headband as he casted looks over his shoulder, making sure that Hope didn't try to run away or something, "We have a small general shop over here, but I don't recommend you to go in. Egmus isn't the nicest when it comes to demons from, ah, out of town."

Hope followed Etri as he walked through the town, watching as he pointed from building to building, "That's the card house, but depending on who's playing, I don't really recommend you go in there either."

"I'm going to guess that most of these places aren't exactly visitor friendly?" Hope asked, not bothering to hide the slight irritation in her voice. After the "multiple first impressions", she was sold on the idea that everyone here were either jerks or so far removed from society that they didn't know how to treat each other.

You know, like a common Rifter.

"Someone's caught on quickly." Etri nodded, pointing out a few other community buildings, before finally coming to a stop in front of a taller building. Out of all the other rundown shacks and homely buildings, this one stood out. Compared to all the other buildings, this one looked like there was a bit of thought put into it before construction began.

Etri seemed just a bit apprehensive, looking around as he walked up the stairs, gripping the handle of one of the doors, "Please, after you." Etri insisted, pulling the door open as a totally-not suspicious smile crossed his face.

Before Hope could object, someone barreled out the doorway, nearly eating the stairs on his way out. Hope had to bite down on her tongue to keep from yelping, instead taking a moment to look this new demon over.

"Solgren?" Etri muttered, scoffing before allowing the door to close, walking down the stairs, "What were you doing in there? Your meeting was supposed to be finished hours ago!"

"You really think that Lez would wait 'er turn to 'talk' to Foraii?" The familiar voice shouted, having yet to get up from his rather compromising position, "The only warning I got before she ran in were the screams of whoever was in the 'allway at the time!"

"And you didn't think to leave until now, why?" Etri asked, his dry tone only further establishing how stupid this whole situation was.

"She didn't let me!" The demon, Solgren, said sheepishly, finally pulling his head from the ground, face filled with embarrassment, "Whenever I'd try to leave, she'd glare and me and tell me to sit my ass right back down. Only reason I got out was 'cause Foraii started shouting back! 'onestly, I 'aven't seen 'im that angry since Lez left."

"Wow, maybe if you took a moment to think, you'd be able to see the very obvious link between those two things." Etri muttered to himself, shaking his head before jolting a bit, turning to Hope with an almost sheepish expression on his face, "Forgive me, Hope. My friend's idiocy has a penchant for ruining my common sense. Hope, this is Solgren. Solgren, -."

"This is the girl I knocked out." At that, Hope couldn't help but suddenly be on guard, watching as Solgren pushed himself up to his feet. His glossy-green eyes looked to be somewhere between embarrassment and regret. He staggered over, pushing his dark hair from his face in an attempt to look presentable before holding his hand out, "So, I know that Etri already introduced me and all, but, umm, 'i, I'm Solgren. And, ah, sorry for the whole… You know."

"That is a shit apology and you know it." Etri shouted from where he stood.

"Would you just let me deal with my own shit 'ere!?" Solgren shouted, before taking a moment to recompose himself, "I didn't mean to, umm, as Lez put it: 'hit the back of your 'ead so 'ard your brains drip out your ears'?"

"That's absolutely disgusting, Sol."

"Shut it, Etri!"

"Don't worry about it!" Hope interrupted, reaching out to grab and shake Solgren's hand before either of them could go on. She caught the look that Etri shot her, only to have him shake it off.

"I kinda just acted without really thinking. 'onest to god thought that Lez was in danger." Solgren said, seemingly relieved that Hope wasn't about to rip him a new one.

"I understand, it was a mistake and you meant well." Hope insisted, a nice feeling of ease finally settling through the air, "Besides, as long as you don't bother trying to reintroduce yourself three times in a row, I'm sure I can forgive you."

"Dear lord, don't tell me that Etri did that with you too!" Solgren groaned, before dramatically turning his head to the side, "That's not 'ow first impressions work, Etri!"

"Oh fuck off, you and your stupid accent could die for all I care!"

"Rude!"

Right before Hope could interrupt again, Someone off in the distance called Solgren's name, said demon looking off in the general direction of the call, "I'll 'ave to put a raincheck on our little argument here, Etri. I don't suppose I'll see you at Dealer's?"

"I'll be there, hope you don't mind me beating you at a game or three." Etri laughed as Solgren flipped him the bird, shooting one more friendly smile at Hope before dashing off.

"He seemed friendly." Hope said as Etri ushered her into the building.

"Solgren is… a character." Etri muttered, closing the door behind them before walking down the long corridor, Hope right behind him, "Sure, he means well, but he isn't one to think past the first step. He's a generic meathead with a big heart."

Hope was ready to retort, to call him out for acting like some sort of suave nobleman when really he came off as an awkward tryhard, only to be interrupted by the wall to their right shaking.

"THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT!?"

"Ah, Lez seems in a jovial mood." Hope hated that she honestly could not tell if Etri was being sarcastic or not,

"Isn't it a bad idea to interrupt them right now?" Hope asked, just a bit apprehensive about walking onto what she could only assume was a warzone, "I mean, it doesn't sound like they're done yet."

"You're not the only one who wants to avoid this," Etri insisted, grimacing at the door, before shaking his head, "But I, for one, don't like being behind schedule. I have things to do, and in all honesty, I don't think that Lez is planning on leaving anytime soon regardless."

With that, Etri pushed the double doors open, a large smile forced upon his face, "Foraii, I've brought the girl, as you requested!"

Hope watched from the hallway as a potted plant sailed right through his head, smashing itself to bits in the wall behind him, "Wow, is that any way to greet an old friend? That's quite rude, Lez."

"DROP YOUR PRISSY RICH BOY ACT, ETRIGAN!"

"Now now, calm down, I'm not here for you. Foraii wished to meet with your concussed friend, that's all."

"OH, SO NOW YOUR DEMANDING TO SEE PEOPLE THAT SOLGREN BRAINED? WHAT'S NEXT, YOU GONNA GET HISSY WHEN I DON'T TELL YOU WHO'S SLEEPING IN MY BED OR SOME SHIT?"

"THAT IS A STUPID THING TO GET ANGRY OVER AND YOU KNOW IT."

"YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT I GET ANGRY AT, I'LL BE AS CHOLERIC AS I DAMN WELL PLEASE!"

"WOW LEZ, DIDN'T KNOW YOU KNEW HOW TO USE BIG GIRL WORDS! NOW, IF ONLY YOU COULD ACT LIKE ONE FOR TWO SECONDS!"

Hope took this time to peek into the room, her curiosity winning over ever so slightly, only to have her yelp and duck as a chair flew out the door, through a bored looking Etrigan, and landed on its side in the hallway.

"I suddenly understand why you're not as worried about this."

"Hard to be too anxious when things literally go right through me." Etri shrugged, flipping his hair to the side as if he was trying to show off, before clearing his throat, "Lez, are you done throwing things or will I have to escort you out?"

Hope didn't catch what she had murmured, nut her answer seemed to be acceptable enough for Etri to wave her forward. Hope stepped into the room, noting how utterly professional this office area would look if it didn't look like a hurricane had hit.

There was dirt, papers, and book pages littering the floor, one chair in a far corner while the other had its legs planted into the ceiling. The desk looked like it had been moved, one bookshelf having been pushed over while the other looked like it had been pushed further into the wall.

All in all, it looked like a warzone.

Wow, who would have thought?

"I apologize for the mess," The new voice muttered, the amount of calm and control in his voice almost scary with the current situation, "It would appear as if some of us need to work on expelling our anger, since it would seem managing it is as pointless as it is possible."

Hope couldn't help the double take she did with this new demon. He somehow managed to look both professional and casual at the same time. Maybe it was the way he dressed, or maybe it was his posture. Either way, this guy somehow managed to be in control of the room without seeming overbearing.

"Hey, up yours, Foraii." Jade scowled, her pink spiked hair bobbing and weaving along with Jade's motions, the entirety of her body language screaming rage, "We ain't done here yet, Foraii."

"We can continue this screaming match later, Lezabel." Hope flinched at how quickly he went from calm and welcoming to utterly condescending, his eyes cold and pointed as he casted the shapeshifter a look, "Now, if you'd be so kind as to wait outside like a good child, maybe I can get some actual work done today AND you get to blow off some of that hot air in your head."

Jade looked like she wanted to object, only to scowl, "Whatever, jackass." With that, she pushed past Hope, moving to shoulder check Etri, only to stumble as she fell right through him, "Fuck you, Etri."

"Always a pleasure, Lez." Etri replied, a slight grin in his voice as she stomped out of the building, "Especially when you're angry!" Etri shouted, a smug look on his face as the door to the entrance was slammed shut.

"Don't aggravate her further, Etrigan." Foraii muttered, moving to stand behind his desk, only to groan as he looked up at the ceiling, "Etri, could you pass me that chair in the corner, please? I'd like my guest to be comfortable, at the very least."

Etri nodded, moving to grab the chair, before placing it down in front of the desk. He then turned to Hope, a confused look on his face, "Are you more comfortable in that corner over there, or…?"

"Huh? Oh!" Hope stumbled over, a sheepish smile on her face as she accepted the seat, "Sorry about that, it's just that, umm… I've had a lot to process."

"I'd assume so," Foraii chuckled, running a hand through his long blonde hair, before opening one of his desk's drawers. He rummaged around before pulling out some sort of band, "Allow me to get the formal introductions out of the way." He murmured, pulling his hair up before tying it back into a ponytail.

Once his hands were free, one of them crossed over the desk, "My name is Foraii, but I'm sure that you've probably gathered that by now."

"Hope." Hope took his hand, shaking it as firmly as possible. God, all these handshakes were slowly but surely making her uncomfortable. Normally she didn't have much of a problem with handshakes, but after being pulled through a wall, she felt as if her hand had suffered enough abuse.

"Hope?" Foraii muttered, casting Etri (who had decided to lean against the wall with his eyes half closed) a look, before snapping his fingers, "Oh, is that your human name? I haven't heard one of those for a long while."  
"My god, could you two sound any more awkward?" Etri grumbled loudly to himself, gaze sliding over to Foraii when said demon slapped a hand to his face, "What? Something on my face?"

"Maybe you could wait outside while I speak with her?" Foraii said, his tone sounding more demanding than asking as he peeled his hand from his face.

The look on Etri's face became downright devious, giving Foraii an over dramatic wink, "I'll be right outside." He grumbled, walking out right through the wall.

"God, I hate it when he does that." Foraii mumbled, taking a moment to massage the bridge of his nose, before shooting Hope a small smile, "Do forgive me, I've been under a lot of stress to keep this place together and running. And, while Lez is great and all, she doesn't exactly lighten the weight of pressure on me."

"Is it fair to assume she does the exact opposite?" Hope couldn't help but ask.

Foraii laughed, the sound so sudden that it nearly made Hope jump, "Aren't you just a breath of fresh air? Nothing like the rest of these idiots around."

"Thank you." Hope tried to make that sound like a statement, only to cringe a bit when it came out as more of a question.

"As nice as it would be to sit here and chat, I'm afraid I have a few questions I need to ask you." Foraii, tired of standing, decided to take a seat at the edge of his desk, "I'll start with the obvious: what's your real name, and when did you show up?"

"I'm Vanth," Hope said, her own name feeling foreign on her tongue. When was the last time she had said her own name, much less speak it without feeling just a tiny bit disgusted, "And… I'm not really sure how long I've been up here."

"Okay… I'm going to guess that you weren't a usual part of the regular Surface Smuggled," Foraii muttered, eyebrows knitted as he stared at a spot on his wall, "Since, if you were, you would have shown up on the cliffs…"

"What cliffs?" Hope asked.

"Ah, sorry, I tend to space out and talk to myself often." Foraii apologized, an awkward smile on his face, "I'm going to assume that you're not aware of Aerglo's edge?"

"I've heard of it briefly, why?"

"Well, most demons comes through in that area." Foraii picked at something from under his nails, "If they're coming up without any type of contract, they end up shooting straight out of the Exorian Ocean."

"Isn't the ocean a bit far from here?" Hope couldn't help but ask.

"Well, it would be kinda foolish to build a town of stowaways right next to the door," Foraii couldn't help but chuckle, "Normally, a Surface Smuggler will lead them from the edge here, or they'll bring stuff up for us to lose."

"Sorry, we're going off topic again," Foraii muttered, cursing himself quietly before going on, "I'd like to know how you got up here. Did a Smuggler bring you up here?"

"Umm, I had the help of one, but I kinda came through on my own?"

"What do you mean by that?" Hope couldn't help but feel as if Foraii was pressing for a specific type of answer. She didn't like how he was looking her over suspiciously, as if she had a reason to keep secrets.

"I used an Angelic Artifact to get through," Hope said carefully. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't help the little voice in the back of her head that was warning her not to be detailed. She couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated under Foraii's gaze, as if he were trying to evaluate her worth, "I tossed it into the Void, hopped into the portal, and I kinda blanked out from there."

"What's the first thing you remember after jumping through?"

Hope really didn't like how he pressed, but at the same time, she didn't really know how she could get around the answer, "I remember waking up in a human's house. He let me stay and help around for a while so I could get a hold of the Surface."

"So there are nice humans out there," Foraii muttered, before laughing to himself, "Or maybe we're just so unlucky to the point where we only get the lowest of the low from up here."

"Yeah, humans aren't really the best, are they?" Hope couldn't help but agree, a slight shiver going down her spine as she thought about the last town they had traveled to, "Especially the, umm, radical ones."

"I cannot agree any more than I already am." Foraii said, his relaxed demeanor finally allowing Hope to feel the same. He leaned back a bit on his desk, hands bracing himself behind him as he sized Hope up, "I'm going to be completely honest with you right now, Vanth."

"I'd prefer it." Hope said, pushing down her constant desire to correct him. It didn't sound as derogatory as it did when Corvus said her name, but it still sounded wrong for some reason.

"We haven't had the best track record with… Newcomers, especially as of late." Foraii seemed to cringe ever so slightly, "Don't even get me started with the ones that pop up without a Surface Smuggler to bring them in. We honestly haven't had the best track record with them, so I'm sorry for putting you through all of this."

"It's no problem." Hope found herself saying instantly, as if the phrase had been common instinct, "I understand."

To this, Foraii smiled, a knowing gleam in his eye, "Honestly, I wish the others were more like you. Yeah, they're a lot more bearable than the demons back at home, but they aren't exactly into the idea of agreeing without some form of bloodshed."

Before Hope could say something more, a knock came to Foraii's door, "I thought I kindly told you to fuck off, Etri."

"Umm, I'm not Etri?"

Foraii scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose before sliding off of his desk, "If you'd excuse me for a moment," Foraii muttered, taking a moment to compose himself before opening the door, "This had better be good, Valkol."

Before this new demon could speak, Etri's face phased right through the wall, a bored look on his face, "Funny, I told him the same thing before he knocked."

"Could you fucking not right now, Etri!?" Foraii shouted, punching Etri right in the face. Hope heard the sharp yelp as Etri's face was pushed back through the wall, "Valkol. Speak."

"We just got back from the watch," No matter how hard Hope tried, she couldn't see any definitive body shape. It looked like this guy was walking around in a big black shroud, almost too similar to Legion, "And we spotted a team of humans in the forest. They're wearing the uniforms, they're Tenebris scouts."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Foraii muttered, looking anything but thankful for this new information, "I will assemble a group in order to deal with the issue."

"Yeah, about that…"

Foraii's expression went from tired to irate, "What. Did. Lez. Do?" With each word, his fists tightened, shaking from its placement on his desk.

"We sent someone, Al'gaurc, back in order to keep tabs on the scouting group and, ah, maybe someone overheard us and decided following Al'gaurc was a good idea?"

"Fucking god damnit," Foraii moaned, slapping a hand over his face, "Etri!"

"You rang?" Etri popped his head back in through the wall, a hand following in suit to cover his nose, "Also, next time you decide to try and break my nose, warn me, would you?"

"Go and get Solgren, you two are going to 'investigate' with me." Foraii sounded whipped despite the amount of command he was pouring into his words, "The last thing I need right now is an angry Lezabel in the medical room."

Etri nodded, disappearing back into the wall as Foraii turned back to Valkol, "You're excused for now. I'm going to put you in charge of the Hall while I'm gone."

The black shrouded demon nodded, disappearing through the doorway. Meanwhile, Foraii marched back over to his desk, muttering something to himself as he searched his drawers, "Damnit, where is my- ah, there it is." Foraii pulled a handle-like cylinder from his desk, tucking it into his pocket before walking around the desk, "You'll be coming along as well."

"W-what? Why!?" Hope couldn't help but ask, "I doubt I'll be of much help, and my Surface Skill isn't really good in a fight like this!"

"If you want me to be completely honest with you? I don't yet trust you enough to let you wander around the town without any type of supervision." Foraii raised his hand before Hope could object, "Put yourself in my shoes for a bit. In addition to what you know of this town and our record with new demons, I'm sure you know how bad this may look. A troublemaker demon runs away one day and, half a year later, she comes back with someone new. No warning, no signs, nothing. I have no other choice than to be wary of you."

"I… I understand." Hope nodded, following Foraii out of the office and down the corridor, "But still, if there's a fight, I don't think I'll be of much help."

"Don't worry too much about fighting," Foraii insisted, holding the door to the entrance open for her, "Etri and Solgren are decent enough to handle humans. The real fight is gonna be getting Lezabel back under control, and trust me, I've had years of practice for that."

* * *

 **Amy: Wait, why the hell is the translator working here?**

 **Me: What are you talking about?**

 **Amy: The translator is all over the fucking place in My Fears, but it's fine here?**

 **Me: Of all the walls you could break right now, you had to go with that one?**

 **エイミー：一体何の話をしているのですか？**

 **Me: And this is why I didn't want to talk about it.**

 **艾米：你到底是什么-现在发生了什么！?**

 **Me: You trojan horsed a problem from a totally different fic! Now the continuity Gods consider the two connected, and are thus changing aspects in order to go with it. Thanks for nothing, Amy. Now I gotta cut the chapter here so it doesn't skip over or anything.**

 **에이미 : 아니,해명해야 할 게 있어 그냥 무시하면 안 돼-**


	23. His Fair Lady, Synchronizing

**...**

 **Amy:... So is no one gonna 話しかける the situation 此処?**

 **Erin: Like that's gonna 도움말.**

 **Miu: Won't addressing it make it 더-** 더 **나쁜?**

 **Lilith: 在这种情况下... What problem are you possibly speaking of? Surely there is nothing wrong happening right here and now.**

 **Amy: And here I thought 당신 could get anymore sarcastic. もう皮肉なことに.**

 **Lilith: I have 아무 생각이 없습니다 what you're talking about.**

 **Erin: 정말 그녀의 공예의 마스터.**

 **Miu: Back t-to the issue at hand, 直せるか?**

 **Amy: I doubt it, but being how クリムゾン has officially given up and I'm getting 아픈 of switching 言語, 我觉得我们应该试试.**

 **Azazel: Like what? 我能不能提醒你 that we're all 반 구운 오리지널 캐릭터? We're kinda, 知ってる, not real?**

 **Amy: Okay, one, you guys may be half-baked, but I'm at least three fourth's of the way cooked.**

 **Erin: guess I'm 100%.**

 **Amy: Bitch, you're burnt. Anyway, before I was RUDELY INTERRUPTED, secondly, I'm sure that we can fix it.**

 **Lilith: Since you're obviously the genius here, how do you suppose we do that?**

 **Amy: by hitting shit before something unbreaks itself.**

 **Lilith: もちろん.**

 **Miu: Technically s-speaking, if Amy hits the right thing, 她可能会结束 breaking the translator entirely.**

 **Azazel: And then we wouldn't be 言語をスキップする!**

 **Miu: 理论上, yes.**

 **Amy: Vâng, những gì chúng ta đang chờ đợi? What should I hit first!?**

 **Erin: Try that one!**

 **Amy: Okay!**

* * *

The violent flashes behind Violet's eyes were starting to give her a headache.

 **"This is the same _ that breathes lies, right?"**

It felt as if something else was trying to shove itself into her mind, forcing her out of herself in the process. She got quick and bright flashes of foreign places, her ears ringing with familiar voices from unfamiliar people.

 _"_ _Which is why I have the Great Wall of_ _ _to hide behind."_

She couldn't help but feel dizzy, trapped in a slowly but surely compressing space. She felt as if the walls of her mind were trying to close her in, trying to rid itself of itself.

 **"Said it once, I'll say it again. Have _ do it."**

There was too much going on in her head.

 _"If knew that this whole war thing can drive anyone mad and all, but I never thought I'd see _ break."_

Too many voices.

 **"Think you can get me something a bit stronger than normal, _?"**

Too many questions.

 _"You and _ have always butted heads; now's not the time for you two to go at it."_

Too many visions.

 **"_, my dude, last I checked, you can't read."**

Violet just wanted them to stop.

She just wanted it all to stop.

No more visions of other people's lives, no more moments where she'd suddenly find herself in a memory that she KNEW wasn't her own.

 **What the absolute hell is going on?**

She just wanted it all to end.

 _Who are these people?_

Why couldn't it just all end!?

 _ **Who am I?**_

Violet woke up with a start, not realizing she was screaming until her throat became scratchy.

She coughed into her elbow, eyes watering as she forced herself into the present. It wasn't a dark abyss here, there was no overlapping screaming anywhere, and the walls weren't closing in on her.

With one last deep inhale, Violet felt her mind ease itself back into a tranquil state, brain now cleared of the mind numbing fog.

With that out of the way, Violet now had the brain capacity to realize that she wasn't in her own room.

Violet stared at the foreign room, one hand gripping the blanket over her while the other scratched the back of her head. Hell, she didn't even realize she had been lying down on a bed until she sat up.

Right before Violet could complain about how dim it was in the room, lightning lit the room from the windows, the sudden light and sound eliciting a yelp from Violet.

It was only then that Violet could really hear the rain pelting the roof, the sound of rain and thunder doing little to help her current situation.

Violet slid her legs out from under the blanket and onto the floor, doing her best to ignore how the cold air of the room attacked her bare legs. The moment her feet touched the dirty carpet she couldn't help but cringe just a bit, recoiling back to the slightly-less-dirty bed.

She could just survey the room from the bed. That was fine.

Violet spotted a door on the far right wall, eyes latching onto the bag lying next to it, "Why's my bag all the way over there?" She muttered to herself, before slapping her forehead, "Great, now I'm talking to myself. This is fine. It's not a sign that I'm going crazy or anything, nope, not at all."

As if to comment, lightning struck down once more, lighting the room again, "Yes, thank you for your input, divine deity of the light. Perhaps, next time, you could be just a bit more specific on your opinion of the current situation."

Thunder boomed in response.

With that resolved, Violet went back to inspecting the room. With the placement of windows, she could assume that this was more of a shack than a room of a whole house, like an open cottage out in the middle of nowhere. It had a sort of homely feeling to it, somehow feeling spacious despite how small the room was.

"This place feels so comforting that I can't help but be on edge." Violet muttered, staring out the window as if waiting for nature to respond.

Even while expecting a response, nothing could stop Violet from jumping as thunder crashed, lightning flashed, and the door being thrown open.

"JESUS FUCK."

"Normally, I'd chide you for your unladylike language," Corvus muttered, closing the door before moving to take off his coat, "But I think it's safe to assume that this is all just a side effect of your fever."

"Ah, sure." Violet stuttered, face feeling red at the sight of Corvus dripping wet. God, with the coat off, it was hard not to see how his shirt stuck to his torso in such a way- Jesus she really needed to stop.

"I apologize for leaving you alone in a new place, my lady," Corvus muttered, oblivious to his current state as he moved to hang his coat on the rack near the door, "And before you get angry that we're not in Lindow, your fever and this weather is more than enough of a reason to wait it all out here for a while."

"It's fine." Violet said just a little too quickly, eyes locking on the window near her bed. Yep, she was just going to stare out the window for no particular reason. Nothing was more interesting than watching raindrops hit the glass.

She missed the look Corvus gave her, "My lady, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Violet muttered, nearly looking away from her window of safety, "Yeah, I'm fine, totally fine, yep."

"...Alright." Corvus muttered, thankfully moving to the other side of the room, "Thankfully, the last residents decided to leave us a map to use. If this map is accurate, we are not too far from Lindow. However, there appears to be another location nearby on the map, but it looks as if someone decided to scratch it out."

"Yeah, scratched out maps and Window." Violet muttered, doing her best to be absent minded.

Violet hated how impossible that was at the moment.

Violet didn't see Corvus shoot her a look, nor did she notice him walking over, "If I didn't know any better, my lady, I'd say that your fever is affecting you more than first assumed."

"Yeah, lady fever, mmhmm." Violet muttered, only then noticing how the bed was beginning to dip ever so slowly.

She let out a small squeak as cold damp fingers pressed against her forehead, Violet barely having time to think about how he didn't have his gloves on for once before the hand moved to her jaw, forcing her face to swing around and look Corvus in the eye, "You're burning up."

"Am I now?" Violet managed to get out, cheeks heating up as she fought herself to keep eye contact. She couldn't help but feel as if their faces were a bit too close, "R-regardless, we shouldn't stay here for too long."

"We will leave when your fever has passed and the weather is clear."

 **Damn, why is he hot when he gets all assertive?**

"Fucking go away." Violet scowled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Huh? No, nothing, sorry." Violet muttered, pulling her chin out of his grasp.

 **Don't pretend you don't like it.**

Corvus seemed to be searching her eyes, before finally giving in and sliding off of the bed, "I'd recommend that you try and get some sleep, my lady." Corvus sighed, looking out the window as well, "In the event that the weather clears up, we won't be moving on until that fever of yours has gone down."

Violet wanted to retort about how she felt fine, only to groan as another throbbing migraine took over her head, "Yeah, no need to tell me twice."

* * *

The dense forest didn't feel as claustrophobic with company.

"Are you sure we're going the right way? I'm positive that we've seen that exact beehive at least three times now."

Granted, company took away from the truly serene feel of nature.

"Well, Valkol told us to go to area 7, and last I checked, this is the right way to area 7. So, unless you'd like to lead instead, Etri, than shut your trap."

So, in hindsight, Hope wasn't really sure which was better.

"Would you two keep it down?" Foraii groaned, "We're supposed to be here to take them out before they notice us."

"If Lez got 'ere before us, I doubt that we'll 'ave the element of surprise," Solgren said, making a face as he swatted some flies away, "that's assuming we'll need it once Lez is done with them."

"Regardless, we should remain on guard." Etri insisted, "These stupid Tenebris scouts are hard to predict."

"We do understand what keep it down means, correct?" Foraii grumbled to himself, looking like he was about to go on, only to quickly force himself to go silent. Before anyone could ask, Foraii glared at them with the force of a thousand suns, placing a finger over his lips with one hand while the other pointed over to a group of tents.

Hope yelped as a hand forced her head down into the bushes, Etri and Solgren falling into place on either side of her, "Is it them?" Etri asked, trying to look over the bushes only to have Solgren reach over Hope to shove Etri's nose back into the dirt.

"Yeah, they've got the Tenebris insignia all over their gear." Hope didn't realize Foraii had been standing against the tree until he spoke, voice so low she almost didn't hear it, "I'm counting about ten of them, maybe twenty?"

"Sounds like a piece of cake to me," Solgren said, "'ell, sounds like a monday to me."

"Shut it, I'm trying to listen," Foraii muttered, a baffled expression on his face, "It sounds like they're arguing."

"Over what? Who ate the last cookie? Did someone steal someone else's underwear?"

"Etri, that's the kind of shit that bothers you and you specifically."

"Well maybe it wouldn't bother me so much if you could JUST USE YOUR OWN-."

"Shut. Up." Foraii growled, bringing his hand up to hit his face, only to decide against it, bashing his head into the tree instead.

It took a lot of effort for Hope to keep herself from laughing, shoulders heaving ever so slightly as she grinned into the ground.

"Looks like they're beginning to fight amongst each other now," Foraii noted. Hope poked her head through the leaves just a bit, watching as they stomped about, either stepping forward or stumbling back, "I'm not seeing Lezabel anywhere in there, though."

"Maybe we got 'ere before she did," Solgren murmured, "I mean, knowing 'er, there wouldn't be anyone left to fight if she got 'ere before we did."

"If that's the case, we should strike now," Etri muttered, sliding one knee under his body before bracing himself on his fingertips, looking like he was about to run straight through the bushes and at the tents, "We'll take'em out before they even know we're here."

"No, something's off," Solgren insisted, his attempt at whispering nowhere near quiet, "This don't look right."

"We can argue about how nothing ever looks right later," Etri muttered, ignoring Foraii's silent orders to keep silent, instead moving to arch his back ever so slightly, like a cat ready to pounce, "We should really take care of these scouts now."

"Wow, and 'ere I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," Solgren said, his tone mocking as he hissed in Etri's general direction, "Does it tell you nothing when the impulsive guy is choosing to take a step back and think rather than jumping right in there and making it up as I go?"

"As 'the smart one'," Etri growled right back, nose scrunched up in distaste, "I make the motion that we get this over with quickly and be done with it. God knows that the meeting after this is going to be a long hassle, and I don't know about you, but I don't want this to be a hassle as well!"  
"Are you telling me that you'd rather run in without thinking a'ead? Are you absolutely out of your fucking mind there, Etri!?"  
"Don't you fuckin raise your voice with me, Sol, you and your stupid accent can go ahead and lick my -."

"Dear fUCK COULD YOU TWO SHUT UP!?"

The moment those words came out, Foraii threw both hands over his mouth, eyes widening as he realized what he'd done.

The forest was silent for a second, the air stale as if the trees were also waiting with bated breath. Finally, Etri sighed, most likely about to suggest that they didn't hear him, only to yelp when something flew through the bushes, landing right between his index and ring finger.

"Fucking shit, just go!" Foraii shouted, ducking around the trees before charging the camp.

"You don't get to be angry with us when you're the one that gave us away!" Solgren shouted right back, cracking his knuckles before disappearing.

"If we had done this earlier, we wouldn't have to handle this hassle." Etri muttered to himself, taking a moment to put all his weight on his back foot before zooming straight through the bushes.

Before Hope could react, a hand reached over the bush to grab her head, jerking her head straight up. She was forced out of her hiding spot, face to face with what she could only assume was a scout.

She looked into his terrified eyes, only then realizing how badly his hand was shaking. This kid looked young, barely a teenager. Before he could move, something behind him grabbed his own hair, the other hand latching onto his wrist, folding his arm back.

A startled yelp left his mouth before he let Hope go, one hand grabbing his chin while the other gripped his hair tightly. He barely had time to utter a small plea before both hands snapped backwards, snapping his neck.

The person behind him dropped the kid's body unceremoniously, dusting off their hands while looking at the body with disgust. Hope couldn't help but feel a bit confused, unable to ask why a scout would turn on their own kind, only to stop the moment the scout hissed, "You guys just had to go ahead and ruin everything, didn't you?"

"...Jade?"

"No, I'm the fucking Easter Bunny. What the fuck do you think!?" Jade scowled, shaking her head about wildly, her form slowly morphing back as if she were shaking off the illusion, "You guys just had to come in at the worst possible time, didn't you?"

Before, Hope could respond, Foraii's voice sounded from the middle of the camp, "Are you really getting on us for having the worst possible timing!?"

Jade scowled, whipping around to face the chaos, "FORAII!" She shouted, jumping right back into the chaos that had devoured the scout camp.

Hope ducked out behind a tree, more than okay with watching from afar. She watched as Jade fought her way back into the center of the camp, an angry yet determined expression on her face as she forced her way over to where Foraii was.

Hope heard Solgren shout something, her only warning to step back before someone flew right past her, landing ass first in the bushes they were once hiding behind. In a moment of panic, Hope pushed her hands toward his forehead, fingertips pressing against his temple, "SLEEP!"

Hope yelped as the scout's body suddenly went limp, eyes rolling up to the back of his skull before slumping over.

"Wow, you sure did a number on him."

Hope nearly shrieked, whipping around with fingertips ready, only to scowl at the sound of Etri's laugh, "I try not to scare you, I really do, but with reactions like that, I can't resist."

"For some reason, I don't believe you." Hope growled lightly, hands shaking ever so slightly with rage. Before she could give him a verbal smackdown, her attention was drawn to the sound of someone screaming from the camp.

Hope turned just in time to watch as Jade grabbed one of the scouts by their arm, "God fucking damnit, Foraii! I had this under control!" She shouted, swinging the scout around to hit two others before bringing her palm straight down in the scout's elbow.  
"Really?" Foraii shouted right back, somehow louder than the scout's bone shattering scream, "You're going to choose now to pick a fight? Cause, if so, I can totally bring up how running head first into danger alone is downright asinine!"

"Oh, you wanna talk asinine!?" Hope watched as Jade leapt over Foraii, bringing her heel down on some misfortunate soul that Foraii had failed to notice, "At least I had half a mind to blend in with them rather than GIVING MYSELF AWAY BY SCREAMING AT MY TEAM TO SHUT UP!"

"Don't you DARE scream at me like that, Lez!" Foraii shouted right back, bringing his spear up before sweeping it low, catching multiple ankles in the process, "You're the last one that gets to complain about ruined plans, and you know it!"

"I'll scream at you all I want!"

"I don't suppose you 'ave any popcorn on you, Etri?" Hope yelped, instinctively reeling her fist back while Solgren laughed, "As funny as it would be to see you 'it me, I doubt it'll 'urt me more than you."

Hope slight scowl only made Solgren laugh louder, "Aren't you two supposed to be helping?" Hope had to fight the smile from her face, Solgren's infectious laughter making it all the more difficult.

"Do you not see the carnage taking place right in front of us right now?" Etri asked, pressing the back of his hand to his smirk, flipping his hair back as dramatically as possible, "You do see the beating that they're taking right now? Do you honestly think that Lez and Foraii need help dishing out said beating?"

"The only ones who need 'elp right now are the scouts." Solgren chuckled, shaking his head as if he was talking about a pitiful child, "Even if we were to fight for them, I doubt that we'd do much to turn the tide against those two."

Hope shook her head, "I don't believe it. How could they when-?"

"OH, YOU'RE GONNA PULL THAT CARD WITH ME!?"

"I'LL PULL WHATEVER CARD I DAMN WELL PLEASE!"

"...Yeah, that?"

"You're listening, but you're not looking." Etri chided, shaking his head before tapping both earlobes with his fingers, "You gotta close these," he muttered, before pulling down on his eyelids, "And open these."

Hope turned back to the fight, head cocked to the side as she watched. She tuned out the bickering and the screaming, instead focusing on the movements. She watched as Jade crotched down just as Foraii swept his spear out in a wide arc, her leg than sweeping out to drop a dude before rushing him, using him as a sort of spring pad to throw herself into a midair arc.

Jade landed on someone in a ballerina-like pose, barely noticing the sword that Foraii had parried away, only picking it up when Foraii chucked it at her.

Their fluid motions and overall harmony was almost hypnotic. If not for the noises, Hope would have assumed this to be some sort of dance. Sure it also looked somewhat aggressive and intense, but a dance no less.

Hope totally missed Etri's smile, pleased with her understanding, "Sure, they're normally at odds, but when it comes to a fight, those two are in sync."

"They could be blinded, deaf and all that other crap." Solgren added, chuckling softly to himself as Foraii grabbed the last one by the ankle, swinging him like a discus right at Jade, who held the stolen sword up right in time to draw a red line down his torso, "They'd still kick ass."

"In my opinion," Etri mumbled, hiding his mouth behind his hand, "Jade isn't really compatible with anyone else. She's too-."

"I DARE you to finish that sentence, Etrigan."

Etri hid his initial surprise, instead throwing Jade a cocky smirk, "Still so testy after your little stress relief session? Honestly, I'm beginning to think that you're just bloodthirsty."

"You wanna see bloodthirsty, Etri?" Jade snarled, eyes narrowing as she picked up an abandoned hatchet from the ground, "Cause I can give a brief demonstration. Right here, and right-."

"I have an idea," Foraii said, stepping in between them the moment before sparks could fly, "How about we DON'T provoke each other right now?"

When words didn't do much, he instead glared Etri down, "Since you and Solgren were kind enough to sit back and watch us do the work, you both get to clean up this mess."

Etri looked like he wanted to object, only to shake his head, averting his eyes over to Solgren, "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, it's not like we can oppose the big boss over here."

"Lezabel," Foraii's tone was nothing short of commanding, the very fact making Hope's nose wrinkle, "We're heading back to Swinford, now. I do believe that we have some things that need to be revisited and discussed."

"Yeah, whatever." Jade grumbled, slapping Foraii's hand away before it could land on her shoulder, instead moving to walk out.

Hope opened her mouth, wishing that the right words would fight their way out and fix their whole situation, only to have Jade walk right past her, not even bothering to give her a look in her general direction.

She acted as if Hope didn't exist.

The four watched as Jade stomped her way through the greenery, the silence remaining until Solgren finally whistled, "And I thought that this was supposed to be 'er stress relief."

"Honestly, I think she needs something more akin to a therapy session at this point." Foraii muttered, attempting to wipe the blood from his face, making a face when he only managed to smear it over his face, "Honestly, you all have the easier job here."

"Yes, because playing janitor is SO rewarding." Etri grumbled.

"You don't get to grumble yet, Etri! You ain't doing anything!" Solgren shouted from the camp, "'ey, 'ope, be a dear and 'elp me out 'ere, would ya?"

"H-huh?" Hope muttered, before shaking her head. She didn't want to think about Jade right now, and while cleaning up a bloody mess like this wasn't what she'd call pleasant, at least she would be helping, "I'll be right there!"

She hurried over, only noticing how slick the grass was when she leapt over the bush, nearly slipping and face planting on her way down.

"There's no need to rush yourself. I'll send help when I get back to Swinford," Foraii mumbled, smiling a bit at Etri's disgruntled expression, "What, did you really think that I'm that ruthless?"

"Did you conveniently forgot what happened in the past fifteen minutes?"

"Regardless," Foraii waved his hand, sighing with enough drama to look like he was deflating, "You'll have to excuse me, I have to go and prepare for the second round of the screaming matches."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do well!" Etri shouted as Foraii began his own walk back to town, tugging at his sleeves as he tried to fix his appearance, "With your luck and talent, I'm sure that you'll be able to make it to the finals with little effort!"

"What was that, Etri? You want to have lavatory duty for the next three months?"

To that, Etri growled, stomping his way over to Solgren, "This is no way to treat your second in command."

"Less complaining, more 'elping!"

"Alright, alright." Etri grumbled, glaring in Foraii's general direction before stumbling over, "If we don't get help in the next fifteen minutes, we are legally allowed to leave."

* * *

"It would appear as if the rain has finally calmed a bit, my lady." Corvus muttered, moving the drapes to the side ever so slowly as he peered out the window, only to grimace at the stray strike of lightning, "The thunder storm, however, seems to have other ideas. At this rate, we may not be able to leave anytime soon."

His only response was silence.

"Honestly, my lady." Corvus sighed, shaking his head before turning to the bed, "If you're smirking because you're about to tell a - oh."

He hadn't noticed the soft snoring that came from the bed until now, "My lady," He couldn't help but tut, looking for a further reason to chide her, only to find none, "I see you're still able to fall asleep wherever and whenever you please."

He couldn't help but be a bit surprised by the snort of a snore that left her mouth, only to shake his head, "You know, you never snored when we were in the Capitol."

Another snore.

"I don't know why I expected anything different, though." Corvus murmured, a fond smile on his face as he brushed her hair out of her face, "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

Violet seemed to shiver, tugging the blankets up in a vain attempt to keep warm. Corvus couldn't help but shake his head, pulling off his jacket before lying down next to her, "Honestly, my dear," He muttered, pulling her just a little closer, "We should get you more jackets. I can't have you being cold so often."

For a moment, Corvus didn't care for anything else. He didn't hear the light pitter patter of the rain outside, nor did he care much for the thunder. He barely noticed how dark the room was, much less how cold the air felt.

No, all that mattered right now was her.

"I wonder, once everything is right again, what should we do first?" Corvus mused, playing with her hair absentmindedly, "We could go stargazing again, if you'd like. Maybe we could have a little picnic as well."

Violet snored in agreement.

"Or maybe we could explore the Surface," Corvus went on, lying down flat on his back as he slipped an arm under her head, "I, for one, would like to visit this 'Kingdom of Hirane'. Perhaps it could serve as a sort of honeymoon."

"No, that wouldn't work." Corvus muttered, cursing himself softly, "The way we were bonded… It wasn't right. Perhaps, if you'd allow me, we could be bonded properly this time."

"You wouldn't have to do anything," Corvus assured, resting his head in her hair, "If you'd allow me, I could do all the planning. Of course, your input would be more than appreciated, but I also don't want you to feel strained for any reason."

"We don't need a big ceremony, if you don't want one. It could be just a few close friends, if that's what you'd prefer." Corvus couldn't help but laugh lightly, "I doubt you'd want to invite anyone from my side of the family, not that I'd mind."

He couldn't help but laugh lightly at Violet's snort, watching as she rolled over to face him in her sleep, "You're adorable." He murmured, poking her nose ever so gently, "No, you're absolutely purr-fect."

Be wasn't certain, but he could have sworn that Violet snorted out laughter in her sleep.

Honestly, it was hard not to see Kuro. Even when she was asleep, Kuro was there. From the way Violet smiled to the expression she got right before she was about to tell a horrible joke. It was all Kuro, he was sure of it. All he had to do was get her out.

"We'll get there, alright, Kuro? Just hold on a bit longer, I'll figure this out. I promise."

* * *

 **Amy: クソ地獄, what happened?  
**

 **Erin: I think you just 按下按钮 that starts the 장.**

 **Amy: You sure? I think I 彻底摧毁 this whole portion of the 机.**

 **Lilith:你知道，没有人知道起初这里有纽扣。 而现在，他们知道，我们都在一个房间里有一个当前破碎的办公桌。**

 **Miu: I t-think we might have broken Lilith.**

 **Lilith: 당신은 무엇 - 你知道，算了吧, これはあなたがすべて私を理解することができるかどうかを無作為に指示する愚かな見せかけです。**

 **Erin: Jesus, she's speaking in fifteen different languages.**

 **Amy: Well, at least we know that I broke 一些东西!**

 **Azazel: Like we couldn't get that from the 壊れた著者の机.**

 **Lilith: هل هذا الشيء مكتب أم لوحة تحكم؟ بجدية ، نحن بحاجة إلى أوصاف ملموسة هنا.**

 **Miu: ...W-what?**

 **Erin: I don't even think that was Asian.**

 **Azazel: Did she say something about religion, or is it just me?**

 **Lilith: Ξέρεις κάτι, μόνο για σένα, Αζαζέλ. Γάμα τους Μορμόνους, ελπίζω να καούν σε όποια κόλαση πιστεύουν οι Ινδουιστές.**

 **Amy: I'm sure she's fine.**

 **Lilith: Nepřeji si nic víc než sladké propuštění smrti.**

 **Amy: God, it's like she's taking all of our translation errors for herself. Apa yang sialan penimbun.**

 **Erin: Maybe we shouldn't be doing this. I mean, this is all author stuff, மற்றும் நான் என்று எனக்கு தெரியாது என்றால், தோழர்களே நீங்கள் அதை பார்க்க அல்லது இல்லை, but we're NOT authors.**

 **Azazel: So, you're saying that we shouldn't keep messing with Crimson's desk?**

 **Erin: 多分、ええ.**

 **Miu: Maybe Erin's r-right, 어쩌면 우리는 안된다-**

 **Amy: Fuck you guys, beating this desk is fun! 再びそれを打つよ！**

 **Miu: W-wait!**

 **Azazel: 누군가, stop her!**

 **Erin: Shit!**

 **Lilith: Я надеюсь, что вся эта комната взорвется и заберет нас всех с собой.**

 **Amy: Baseball bats すべてがそんなに多くを作る -**


	24. His Fair Lady, Devoid

**Amy: 私は何かをした！  
(I did something!)  
**

 **Lilith: あなたのために良い、メダルをしたい？  
** **(Good for you, want a medal?)**

 **Erin: まあ、少なくともあなたは今一つの言語に固執しています。  
(Well, at least you're sticking to one language now.)**

 **Azazel: それは良いことだ.  
(** **That's good.)**

 **Miu: 他の誰かが一番下に現れているキャプションに気づきますか？  
(Anyone else n-notice the captions showing up at t-the bottom?)**

 **Amy: ああちょっと変だな  
(Yeah, it's kinda weird.)**

 **Erin: 前に机にしたことが原因だと思ってるのか?  
(You think it's because of what you did to the desk last time?)**

 **Amy: 分からないかも？ 私は机がまだ喫煙を停止していないことを知っています。  
(I don't know, maybe? I just know that the desk hasn't stopped smoking yet.)  
**

 **Azazel: よし聞いてくれ-  
(Okay, hear me out-)  
**

 **Lilith: 唯一の良いものは、その文から来ます  
(Only good things have ever come from that statement.)  
**

 **Azazel: もう一度やってみよう  
(Why don't we just hit it again?)  
**

 **Erin: あなたが実際に右、今冗談を言っていますか？  
(You're actually kidding right now, right?)  
**

 **Azazel: 私はちょうどここに提案を投げている。 他に負けることが多いわけじゃない  
(I'm just throwing suggestions here. It's not like we have much else to lose.)  
**

 **Lilith: そうじゃないと思うんだけどもしそれを越えて壊してしまったらどうなるか誰が知ってるんだろう - エイミーはどこだ?  
(I don't think we should. I mean, who knows what could happen if we end up breaking it beyond - where's Amy?)  
**

 **Amy: 私は何が最初に壊れるのだろうか、野球のバットや机！?  
(I WONDER WHAT'LL BREAK FIRST, THE BASEBALL BAT OR THE DESK!?)  
**

 **Erin: くそっ！  
(JESUS FUCK!)  
**

 **Miu: 伏せろ！  
(D-duck!)  
**

 **Lilith: あなたはクソ勇気はありません-  
(Don't you fucking dare-)  
**

* * *

Etri and Solgren always had the worst timing.

Even before Jade had originally left, they would always somehow show up at the worst possible time. From popping up right before she would take a shower to walking in during said showers.

Now that she thought about it, a lot of those moments were shower-related…

Regardless, of all the times that they could show up, in the middle of an argument with Foraii really wasn't the best.

Jade watched as Solgren ducked under the potted plant she had just thrown, watching it sail right into Etri's head, "Fucking oww!"  
"Don't be a bitch." Solgren chided, "'old up real quick, did that actually catch you by surprise?"

"Don't fucking start with me." Etri growled lightly.

"I don't suppose that you two could come in later?" Jade all but hissed, teeth threatening to crack under the strain of her clenched jaw.

"No, we really need to do a debrief." Foraii sighed as he took a seat, having had brought his chair back down to earth during their feud, "Go on and situate yourselves, I wanna get this over with quickly."

Under the fuming heat of Jade's glare, the two found their usual spots in the room, Solgren making sure the door was closed and locked while Etri moved to pull the blinds over the windows closed, "We're all clear."

"So," Foraii muttered, looking the three over with an almost pensive expression, "How did clean up go?"

"All in all? Once those extra boys showed up, it wasn't too much." Solgren murmured, leaning back on the wall, eyeing the chair Jade had claimed. He was pretty tired of standing, but one glare was more than enough for him to back off, "If we're being 'onest 'ere, that 'ope girl was a lot more 'elp that I thought she would be."

"That's good." Foraii muttered, doing his best to ignore Jade's fingers tapping on the desk, instead turning to Etri, "Did you guys find anything during the clean up?"

Etri took a moment to dig through his pockets, approaching the desk from the window as he did so, "Found a few name tags with the Tenebris emblem on them, so you know what that means."

Foraii cursed, watching as Etri pulled out a few other knickknacks, "What do you suggest we do here?"

"Wait, hold up a sec," Jade intervened, eyes narrowing as she stared the three of them down. Etri didn't dare to hold her gaze, Solgren lasting only a few seconds before looking away, leaving her with only one, "What the hell is going on here?"  
"Nothing you need to worry about," Foraii muttered, waving her off before standing up, "Anyway, Etri?"

"They're getting closer," Etri went on, making a point to ignore the smoke rising from Jade's shoulders, "We've been having sightings of these guys for a long ass while, started around the time those Denholm assholes left."

"Can we please backtrack a bit?" Jade spat, giving Foraii a look, "Do you not think that I have a right to know what's going on here, Foraii?"

"Not now," Foraii muttered, before turning to Solgren, "And what do you think about this?"

"I think that we should 'ave some form of evacuation planned, at least." Solgren muttered gruffly, "I'm sure I ain't the first person to say this, but regardless, I don't think that we can stay 'ere."

"Seriously? We're all going to just ignore me and move on?"

"But where would we go? The only place I can think of is the Edge, and honestly, that place isn't exactly easy to defend."

"Hello? Earth to the three other assholes in this room?"

"Than we won't go there, Etri. Sol, I want you to start looking around for places that we can hole up in the event that shit goes down. Look into multiple places at once, we can send small groups to different places, regroup after a while or whatnot. I don't know, just make sure we have places."

"On it, boss." Solgren, looking more than happy to know that he was being excused. But, before he could push the door open, Jade shot to her feet, stalking over to throw her hand against the door.

"I don't fucking think so, Sol."

"Come on, Lez," Solgren all but pleaded, nerves flaring ever so slightly as her expression darkened, "Don't do this right now."

"Well, if I don't act, I'm not going to get the answers that I need now, will I?" Solgren jumped a bit at her tone, her spite near tangible at this point.

She then turned to Foraii, the only one of them who didn't back down from her glare, "So, you wanna tell me what's going on, or do you want me to hold everyone hostage?"

The two stared each other down, both unwilling to look away and, in turn, accept some form of defeat. The room fell silent, the very air stilling, stagnant. Etri turned to Jade, mouth open with an excuse most likely, only to have Jade snap before he could speak, "If you so much as push a finger through that wall, Etri, I will make sure it doesn't come back."

"Weird threat but I see your point." Etri wheezed out quickly, making sure not to lean against the wall.

Finally, Foraii broke the tension with a sigh, "If you want an explanation so bad, why don't you go ahead and take your seat back like a good little girl?"

"Do NOT speak to me like that." Jade hissed, finally stalking away from the door, narrowed eyes fixed on the demon seated on the other side of the desk, "I'm not a child."

"Than quit acting like one," Foraii snapped back, looking like he was about ready to go on, only to shake his head, "So, what exactly do you want to know?"

"I wanna know what's going on with all this Tenebris crap," Jade muttered, shooting Etri and Solgren a look as they shuffled towards the far wall, "When did that become a big thing?"

"Well, shortly after you left," Foraii muttered, nearly spitting out that last word, giving her a pointed look, "We found a small group of people right outside of the Alabaster Forest."

"Oh, so a bunch of campers scared ya, is that it?" Jade snickered, kicking her feet up onto the desk, much to Foraii's irritation, "So what, you had them killed because they were too close?"

"I had them killed before they could do damage." Foraii growled, slapping her feet away, "I took care of the problem before it could become one."

"Right, cause that's ALWAYS the best course of action!" Jade snarled right back, slamming her own hands down on the desk, "You know what, you don't need to finish your little story, I think I can piece the rest together quite well! You killed them and put a flag to the whole forest, didn't you?"

Jade cackled with laughter, nearly throwing her head back at Foraii's stern yet averted expression, "Right on the money, aren't I? Damn, and here I thought the strong and mighty warlord, the great Foraii Viribus himself, would be smart enough to at least send a scout or two out to figure out who these people were BEFORE making such a brash decision-"

"I do NOT NEED TO HEAR OF MY FAULTS FROM THE LIKES OF YOU, LEZABEL!"

Jade fought down the urge to flinch, instead choosing to stare Foraii down coolly. He had yet to stand from his chair, his anger more than enough to tower over all three of them. His ragged breathing suffocated the room, walls quivering to Foraii's rage.

As soon as it had begun, the spell over the room was dropped. Foraii sighed, holding his forehead in one head, "...You don't get to lecture me about carelessness and you know it, Lezabel." He growled lowly, "You don't get to act all high and mighty with me when you're just as guilty as I am, if not more so."

Jade did her best to look offended, anything to offset the pit in her stomach, "Exactly what the fu-"

"Maybe now isn't the best time for your bullshit, Lez." Etri whispered harshly, Solgren only giving her a pointed look.

"You got your answers, regardless of who's mouth it came from," Foraii muttered, finally looking up at her. Jade's breath caught ever so slightly, feeling the weight and raw emotion behind his eyes, "Now leave."

Jade stood without really realizing it, her movements rigid and stiff as she walked over to the door. She could hear faint whispering from behind her, the three of them speaking (most likely about her) in their hushed voices, but walked through the doorway regardless.

It took a lot of willpower to slam the door shut behind her, and even more to walk away from the room. Honestly, she hated the voice whispering in her head that she should take the loss and leave. She HATED having to admit that she was wrong, especially when it came to Foraii.

That fucking asshole didn't need someone else feeding his ego.

She kicked the front door open, uncaring to the poor bastard who had apparently been right behind it, now lying ass-up in the shrubbery near the door.

She stomped down the steps, each one louder as if to spite the three demons still inside. It got to the point where, once down the steps, she looked like she was trying to bury her shoes with force.

She ignored how her fist shook, unsure of which emotion fueled it. Was it anger, frustration? Fear? Regardless, she huffed out a growl, walking right out Swinford's limits and into the forest area.

"Fuck all this nonsense," Jade snarled, nearly kicking down the door to her homely little shack. She paid no attention to Hope, who had (for some reason) been using Jade's tiny kitchen area.

Normally, she'd wonder what Hope was going to do with an old oven, half a counter and a leaking sink, but right now she couldn't care less.

She ignored Hope's attempt at small talk, completely missing how she seemed to use her body to block the kitchen area. Instead, she walked over to the couch, grabbing an old pillow before screaming into it.

She could have sworn she heard Hope ask something, only to throw the pillow aside in frustration. Normally, that was enough to quell the furious anger threatening to boil over, but today it wasn't really cutting it.

Thus, further action would be required.

She grabbed an old bag from the floor, looking through the contents real quick before throwing the bag over her shoulder. She threw a hand over her shoulder, her only real attempt to say that she was going before walking right back out the door, kicking it closed on her way out.

With a deep inhale, Jade marched for the outskirts of town. Foraii got to have his huge explosion, so it was high time she got her own as well.

* * *

"Aaaaaaaaaaand the info is in!"

While Cynthia's voice hadn't awoken her at first, the fist that came down on the steel table sure did. With a groan, Blythe rubbed her eyes, glaring at her surroundings as she tried to piece together what was going on.

She looked around at the table, noting how Cynthia seemed to be eagerly looking over some papers while Claude sat quietly on the other side of the table.

Before she could ask, the demon shot her a look, just the hint of a smile on his face, "Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Shut it," Blythe growled, pulling a hand through her hair before glaring at the offending hand, "What's with all the racket, Cyn?"

"The reports just came in!" Cynthia giggled, looking over the papers in her hands just as a knock came to the door, "It's always open!"

A timid boy poked his head in, knees shaking as he approached the table, "The final reports a-are in, Ms. Saclut."

"Excellent!" Cynthia grinned, ripping the papers away from the kid before he could put them down, eyes greedily drawing in each and every word, "Is all of this data recorded and updated to the map?"

"Yes, the map is nearing completion."

"Wonderful." Cynthia murmured, the sudden tone shift throwing Blythe off ever so slightly, voice going from peppy to nearly sarcastic, regardless of the enthusiasm in her posture, "Be sure to tell me when all of this has been put in, I'll be holding a meeting with the twins momentarily."

The kid did a quick salute before marching out of the room, head down as to avoid eye contact, "I take it that your friend Tim isn't coming back?"

"Nor is anyone else from that squad!" Cynthia chriped, her sudden volume change nearly forcing Claude right out of his seat, "If these reports are correct, everyone from the last scouting squad has been killed!"

"Well, that's just phenomenal." Claude murmured, "Shall we celebrate the death of children next, perhaps?"  
"Have you no filter?" Blythe groaned, shooting daggers with her eyes in Claude's general direction.

"I do apologize, I was merely acting as I've seen customary here," Claude scoffed, somehow looking offended despite the indifference in his eyes, "Perhaps it was too quick to jump directly to babies? Should I begin with the crippled and poor first?"

"Now now, you two, play nice!" Cynthia tutted, placing her hands on her hips as if that would help strengthen her authority, "We're all on the same team here!"

"You see, that's where you're wrong, Cyn." Blythe grunted, shooting up from her chair as she eyed Claude, "Maybe you're short term memory renders you retarded more often than not, but he's not on our side."

"If I do recall correctly, I came to you and your people to offer my help," Claude defended, arrogantly leaning back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes, "If that doesn't prove my allegiance here, than I don't know what will."

"Maybe you not being shady all the damn time would be a great first step," Blythe muttered, shooting Cynthia a murderous look at the hint of a giggle, "Oh? Sorry, I think I missed something. Do tell, Ms. Saclut, what's so funny?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Cynthia's tone was dry, despite the way she convulsed in her laughter, "You two hate each other so much I'm sure that, given time, you'd go to war with each other."

"She'd want war," Claude corrected, his line of a mouth curving up ever so slightly, "I, however, could not care less. Regardless, I have no doubt in my mind that I'd win."

"Don't you DARE go around talking nonsense like that!" Blythe retaliated, much to Cynthia's amusement, if the violent increase of cackling was anything to go by, "Maybe you weren't educated where you're from, but you'd think that when someone's title is 'demon' and 'hunter' put together, that normally means something."

"I don't suppose you'd be able to tell me?" Claude mused, tugging ever so slightly at the tips of his gloves, absentminded, "Do make it quick, though. I don't have enough time for you to throw around big words and try to sound astute."

Blythe could have sworn that, in that very second, smoke was pouring from out of her ears, "Well EXCUSE ME FOR-"

"As fun as this is," Cynthia interrupted, smile failing to reach her eyes before she threw the papers over the table, "We have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Such as?" Claude asked, his voice a soft mumble as he picked at his gloves absentmindedly.

"Well, for starters, the plans for our little operation is nearly complete!" Cynthia all but beamed, clapping her hands together with so much joy that Blythe could only assume she was being a bit sarcastic, "So that'll be fun!"

"Do you know when we'll leave?" Claude asked.

"We leave when the twins allow us to," Cynthia grinned, before snapping her head over to Claude, eyes dull and void, "Unless, of course, you have a problem with that?"

"Quite the contrary," Claude countered, his finger tapping the desk, just loud enough to tick Blythe's irritation, "Personally, I could not care less when we depart, I only wish to be told in advance."

"That can be done." Cynthia droned, nodding as if to sell her tone before snapping back to a preppy state, "Of course, before that, we're going to be spending a lot of time training together and what not! The Tenebris team will need their A-team to be in perfect sync and whatnot!"

"As tempting as that is, I'll have to decline," Claude murmured, slowly standing up from his chair before shooting Blythe a shadow of a smirk, "I sincerely doubt that someone like her would allow me to wield a weapon of any sort around her."

"You trying to say something there, demon boy?" Blythe snarled, fingernails scraping against the steel table.

"I'm just saying that I'd understand your concern if we were put into a situation where we were put up against each other," Claude went on, his smirk growing just a tiny bit wider, "Wouldn't want the big scary demon to have some sort of upper hand, yes?"

"Oh, don't even PRETEND that you don't know what you're doing here." Blythe growled, looking like she was seconds away from pouncing over the table, "You know damn well what you're trying to do?"

"Well, if you're completely sure, than please do share." Claude mused, drinking in each and every second of Blythe's sheer enmity, "I'd hate for there to be some sort of miscommunication."

Blythe could see nothing but red, and Claude knew it. He knew which buttons to push, honestly how could he not? It was too much fun to watch her reactions, especially when it wasn't intentional.

But, before anymore words could be exchanged, the two were cut off by the sound of slow clapping.

"You two can settle this cute little squabble later," Cynthia grinned, her tone void of the amusement clearly evident on her face. Neither had noticed that she was now standing next to the door, tugging a belt to tighten around her waist before pushing the door open, "Preferably in the training hall, two hours from now."

Claude didn't need to see Blythe to feel her rage turn to anger-induced determination, "Don't blame me if the demon hunter ends up killing the demon." She scowled, shooting up from her chair to walk out of the room.

Claude, unwilling to allow her to have the last word, called out to her as she disappeared behind the door, "It would be quite a disappointing coincidence if that happened."

"Claude's smile could not have grown any wider the moment that Blythe's unholy screech echoed down the halls.

"You know, one day, you're going to push the wrong button at the wrong time," Cynthia droned, her gaze sliding over to the demon before a sly smile stretched over her lips, "But you know that already, don't you,

"I know about as much as you do, Ms. Saclut." Claude sighed, matching her nonchalant expression and smile, the two coming to a silent agreement as Claude walked out of the room, "Take that as you will."

To that, Cynthia giggled, a large grin on her face as Claude walked away, "Always a pleasure, Mr. Faustus."

* * *

 **Lilith: God fucking damnit, quit touching shit, Amy!**

 **Erin: Jesus, and I thought is was smoking earlier.**

 **Miu: I-is everyone okay?**

 **Azazel: Still in one piece, so I'm good over here.**

 **Erin: I don't suppose we got lucky and Amy took herself out?  
**

 **Amy: You fucking wish, hothead.**

 **Erin: Oh, this is great.**

 **Azazel: Wait, it actually is!**

 **Erin: Sorry?**

 **Azazel: Look, no more translations bullshit! We're finally good!**

 **Lilith: So, let me get this straight, Amy breaking stuff is what solved out problem here?**

 **Miu: Looks l-like it!**

 **Erin:...Huh.**

 **Amy: Really? That's all you have to say for yourself? I say that like I didn't solve our translation problem.**

 **Erin: Well, what do you want me to say? Thank you, my Lordy Amy, for everything you've done for our people!**

 **Amy: Actually eat shit, Erin.**

 **Erin: Make me.**

 **Amy:... Maybe I will.**

 **Azazel: What are you doing over there, Amy?**

 **Amy: Well, just cause it's smoking doesn't mean it doesn't work, right? I wanna test something.**

 **Miu: I really d-don't think that you should-**

 **(*A mute signal appears over Miu, rendering her silent*)**

 **Erin: What the ACTUAL FUCK!?**

 **Amy: Sorry, that got put on the wrong person.**

 **(*The mute signal is removed from Miu and placed over Erin, rendering her silent*)**

 **Lilith: That... Is actually not a bad change.**

 **Azazel: It's actually kinda cool.**

 **Erin: *Angry mute noises***

 **Amy: You would not believe how much fun this is. Damn, I can't change any of the preexisting documents, but I wonder what else I can-**


End file.
